Bangkok Casuals International League 2011/12
Pattaya City Football Club traveled to Bangkok last weekend to play the league leaders Anatolia, a team that City had not beaten in their last five meetings.
Despite this poor record, City attacked from the start of the match and a crisp header by captain Craig Banks slammed against the Anatolia post and soon after a shot by City’s Paul Fox hit the bar with the Anatolia keeper well beaten. Appeals were then turned down for a City penalty as two Anatolia players appeared to handle the ball, but play was waved on.
After weathering the early onslaught Anatolia came back into the match and with what appeared to be a foul on a City defender, with an elbow to the face that led to the player needing treatment, it opened up the City defense and led to the first Anatolia goal.
City again hit the post and a good run by Tshuma down the right wing saw his centre flash across the face of the goal with no one to apply the finishing touch.
Anatolia then broke clear at the other end and doubled their lead when a through-ball carved open a static Pattaya defense to make it 2-0. Another City chance went begging when Paul Fox sent over an inch perfect centre, but it was blasted over the bar, and it left the score at 2-0 at half time.
Anatolia turned up the heat after the interval and went further ahead when City defender Yvon Prisco stuck out his foot and could only divert the harmless long range shot into his own net to make the score 3-0. The same player had the chance to pull a goal back at the other end of the field, but in front of an open goal he completely missed his kick, and when Paul Fox did put the ball in the net for City he was flagged for offside.
Anatolia put the game out of reach soon after when their forward went through unchallenged to slot the ball past the City keeper. City missed another chance when with the Anatolia goalkeeper went AWOL but nobody could get a toe to the ball to put it into the net.
The home team added to City’s woes with another goal to make it 5-0 before Dipita beat three Anatolia players to score a consolation goal to make the final score 5-1.
It was just not City’s day and the little bit of luck was missing on a very small and narrow pitch, but they will need to dust themselves down, take a deep breath and start winning these important matches.
City Reserves share the spoils
Pattaya City Reserves played their first competitive league match against Iplay at the Thai Polo Club last weekend, playing on the biggest pitch in the league.
Early on, the experienced Iplay were restricted to taking long shots from outside the area, while their defense comfortably dealt with any attacks the City forwards could muster. But midway through the first half a superb ball from Glen Wilkins put centre-forward Chris Burt through and his perfect lob over the keeper put City 1-0 up.
Iplay tried to get on level terms but again the City defense held, and the visitors wasted their good build-up play with some wasteful finishing.
City Reserves went further ahead when a corner was only half cleared and Conner O’Callaghan picked up the loose ball on the right before beating two players to cross the ball over to a teammate who headed home to make it 2-0. With half time looming it was a good time to score and City’s keeper did not have a save to make in the first half.
Iplay came out after the interval full of confidence that they could turn the result around and they attacked the City Reserves’ goal relentlessly, but again the shots were high or wide. The visitors then hit the City post and moments later managed to pull a goal back after a good interchange between their forwards, to make it 2-1.
A few minutes later Iplay equalized with a scrappy goal to make it 2-2, and then could have won it when a diving header went just wide. City Reserves were overwhelmed in the second half due on the large pitch proving very tiring, but with some good team spirit they were able to hold on and secure a valuable point.
