Bangkok Casuals Football League 2012/13
Pattaya City took on league leaders The Londoner at Laem Chabang last weekend and were in confident mood after beating BSL Youth 3-0 in Bangkok the week before.
The Londoner started out playing some pretty and neat football but it was City who nearly stuck the first blow when centre forward Vorontsov was only thwarted by a desperate dive from the Londoner keeper who smothered the ball before Vorontsov could shoot.
Both teams seemed intent on putting everything into attack and it made for an end to end match as City wasted a couple of good chances and then the Londoner’s centre forward found himself alone with just the City keeper to beat but his shot was weak and the chance went begging.
Dipta had the best effort in a goalless first half when his shot was brilliantly saved by The Londoner keeper following good build up play from Fox and Emery.
The second half started pretty much as the first half finished, with end to end play and within a couple of minutes City went ahead when Dipta latched onto a loose ball and fired home to make it 1-0. The Londoner pressed for an equalizer but the City defence held firm, with the reliable Yongui picking up any pieces. Soon after, a throw out by City’s keeper found Dipta who beat three defenders before seeing his shot roll agonizingly the wrong side of the Londoner’s goalpost.
The visitors came back once more and forced some good saves out of the City keeper, but he was powerless to do anything about the equalizing goal as Craig Massey beat the Pattaya offside trap to bury the ball in the back of the net and pull The Londoner level at 1-1.
City did not allow this setback to knock them out of their stride however and soon after, a defence splitting ball by Sego found Vorontsov in the clear and he side-footed home to give Pattaya the lead once more at 2-1.
The Londoner tried to claw their way back into the match once again but they started leaving spaces at the back and City’s Paul Madden had a glorious chance to seal the match but put his shot wide. It didn’t matter though as soon after the referee sounded his whistle to bring the match to a close.
This was a wonderful game with both sides playing good football and giving it their best. All credit to the officials also who kept everybody in check.
City seem to have reached a new level since the new year and now they have to try and maintain it as they next take on local rivals F.C. Planet in a reschedule match this coming weekend at Laem Chabang.
