Bangkok Casuals Football League
Last season’s Cup winners FC Planet traveled to Arsenal Soccer Schools in Bangkok to face Hanuman Boys FC in their first group match of the new campaign. Hanuman Boys were looking to cause an upset against the Cup holders who went into this match operating with three at the back in a 3-5-2 formation.
In the early stages Hanuman played a very deep line with every player behind the ball inviting Planet to press high up the pitch. It was the Division 2 rookies though who took the lead as their forward player got on the end of a tidy ball across the face of Planet’s goal to finish from close range. This was a dream start for Hanuman and a kick up the behind for the champions who restarted quickly and remained patient for an equalizer, knowing that they’d sooner or later find a way through Hanumans back line.
The inevitable happened as veteran striker Darbyshire got on the end of a loose ball to finish low past the keeper to claim his first goal of the season and Planet’s equalizer. This was a sucker punch for Hanuman who remained to play deep in their own half as Planet were looking to take the lead.
Planet kept the ball well while looking to go in front and they soon did so on the stroke of half time as Maurice picked out the oncoming Gibbons with neat set up to finish from close range to give Planet the advantage. Planet went into the break 2-1 up knowing that more hard graft was required if they were to come away with three points.
Hanuman rallied themselves as they started the second period, using long balls in a desperate attempt to find a way back into the game, but Planet’s back three comfortably retained the ball well. The belief of Hanuman was soon shattered after some good work by Maurice down the right flank who sent the ball in the box for Gibbons to fire low to the keeper’s right for 3-1 and take him into double figures for the season.
Planet began to run riot from then on with Daouda and McKeown controlling the center of the field and picking out passes from all angles. It was the hard working McKeown who got on the scoresheet next with a right footed finish from twenty yards as he has done on numerous occasions already this season to make it 4-1.
The points were in the bag for the champions who were constantly looking for more goals to take home as Hanuman’s back line was now running on empty. Robinson, who was getting forward more in the second period, made one of the passes of the game as he drilled one high into the box for Gibbons to meet the ball to finish well with a header past the Hanuman keeper to claim his hat-trick and Planet’s fifth of the game.
Moments before the final whistle, Planet saved the best till last as keeper for the day Ainscough ran the full length of the pitch to join in the attack and find himself past the last man and clean through on goal. Within a flash Ainscough placed his shot past the keeper to his delight in such an outrageous moment to make the score 6-1 to the holders.
