Pattaya City played at home last weekend against Scans Vikings, looking for a confidence booster after the previous week’s beating, but with their leading top scorer out through injury the odds were against City.
Pattaya did start strongly and a shot by Francis Tamouya brought a good diving save from the Vikings’ goalkeeper and he also had to save from a Craig Banks blockbuster. The Vikings’ keeper then produced the save of the match from a shot on the turn by Paul Derbyshire and instantly saving at the feet off Zachee to stop the City forward from scoring.
The Vikings mounted their first attack soon after and a couple of one-two passing movements opened the City defense and the forward’s shot beat the City keeper to put the Vikings 1-0 up. City soon equalized however when Zachee put the ball into the Vikings’ net after a usual City build-up involving a five player movement, which made the score 1-1.
Vikings could have gone ahead once more but their forward missed an open goal when he side footed the ball wide instead of putting it into an empty net and not long after a superb through ball down the middle by City’s Tshuma found Supachai who made no mistake to make it 2-1 to City.
The Vikings then gained a free-kick just outside the City penalty area from which the ball hit the City wall and looped into the net to equalize for the Vikings, leaving the score 2-2 at half time.
After the break both defenses remained tight and what few chances there were, again City were guilty of not putting away. With the Vikings defense dug in, they decided that a point was a good result, with the final result being 2-2.
Reserves gain their first win
The Pattaya City Reserves played the Japanese team Bangkok United last weekend, who are known for their fast flowing football, and with this being the Reserve’s only second match of the season the game was viewed with interest as the Japanese started very quickly to put the City defense under early pressure, but City were holding out as the finishing by Bangkok United was poor.
Slowly City started to make inroads through the Japanese defense but the chances were few and far between and it was the Bangkok team who opened the scoring with a scrambled goal on a crowded goal line, as the ball was poked home to make it 1-0.
City fought back but the finishing should have been better and the score stood 1-0 at half time to the Japanese team.
City came out strongly after the break and took the game to the Bangkok United, passing the ball around and the openings started to appear for the City forwards, which led to an equalizer when the ball was not cleared and Einar Sigurdsson prodded it into the net to make it 1-1.
The Reserves’ tails were now up and they pounded the Japanese goal until finally Panjasab scored a brace of goals after good work from Nirut to make the final score 3-1 to Pattaya.
This was only the Reserves second game and slowly they are getting to grips, not only with each other, but with the big pitch and the high standard of the teams that they are playing. A lot more needs doing with this young side and they will be tested as they play the league leaders after the Christmas break.
May I take this opportunity to everyone wish a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year!
