Dolphins succumb to Shark attack

A brace of goals either side of half time by veteran striker Pipob On-Mo and Brazilian Thiago Cunha enabled Chonburi FC to close the gap on league leaders Muang Thong United and also condemn local rivals Pattaya United to their ninth loss of the season last Saturday at the Nongpue Stadium in Pattaya.

In a passionate encounter United started the brighter of the two teams and should have taken the lead as early as the fifth minute when Patipol Phetwiset missed a great chance in front of goal.

Pattaya’s United’s Rodion Dyachenko, left, shields the ball from Chonburi defender Suree Sukha during their Thai Premier League match at the Nongpue Stadium in Pattaya, Saturday, August 18.

The opening score would come at the other end of the pitch however, and when it came is was a touch of class from the Chonburi forwards who carved out a shooting chance for On-Mo, and the 33-year old Chonburi skipper added the finishing touch by sending an unerring shot into the far corner of the net past the despairing dive of Narit.

United fought to get themselves back into the contest and almost equalized on the stroke of half time when Anuwat Inyin pulled the ball down on the edge of the Chonburi area and fired in a fierce drive that keeper Hathairattanakool did well to tip over the bar.

The ‘Sharks’ goalkeeper would be called on again immediately after the break to prevent a powerful downward header by Pattaya’s Rodion Dyachenko from leveling the scores but the game would be turned on its head midway through the second half when Pattaya forward O.J. Obatola received his marching orders from the referee after elbowing Chonburi defender Suttinan Phuk-hom.

Down to 10 men Pattaya struggled to keep hold of the ball and Chonburi took advantage to double their lead in the 80th minute as Sompob Nilwong was robbed of possession in his own area by Thiago who then smartly bent the ball around Narit and into the far corner of the net.

Chonburi could easily have added to their 2 goal cushion in the final 10 minutes of the game as gaps started to appear in the United back line which the ‘Sharks’ began to pierce at will.  A shot rebounded off the foot of the United post and another was cleared off the goal-line but there was to be no further scoring and the match finished in a 2-0 victory for the visitors.

United slipped down a place to thirteenth in the table following the loss while Chonburi gained three points on Muang Thong United whose game against third placed Buriram was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Pattaya United’s next match is an away game at Wuachon United on Sunday, August 26.  Kick-off is at 6 p.m.