Pattaya United 3, Ratchaburi FC 0
Pattaya United welcomed seventh placed Ratchaburi Mitr Phol FC to the Dolphins Stadium last Saturday, July 29 with the home team looking for their fourth win in the last 5 games against a side that had just beaten Chonburi FC 5-1.
That game had made national headlines as a half time bust up between Ratchaburi manager Tannawat Nitttikanchana and Chonburi forward Thiago, with security officers becoming involved, led to a delay of 45 minutes. Thiago was left requiring stitches to a head wound and a 5 week ban while the Ratchaburi manager received the same punishment but later resigned from his post.
Pattaya also felt aggrieved in the manner of their 1-0 defeat in the league game at Ratchaburi earlier in the season, so this match promised to be a keenly contested affair.
From the start it was clear why Ratchaburi are having a good season. Each player looked comfortable on the ball and the side were so well organized that Pattaya were finding it really difficult to create any chances.
The visitors also had a very strong target man up front in the shape of the imposing Marcel Essombe who had already score 18 times this season. It was fortunate for the home side that captain Lee Won-Young was having a fine game. The South Korean was simply magnificent in the air and he hardly lost a challenge to the large Ghanaian forward.
As the half progressed Pattaya warmed to the task and would have taken the lead if Picha U-Tra could have shown a little more composure in front of goal when he was twice given an opportunity to score in a 20 second period. Sadly the chances went begging and teams went into half time level at 0-0.
Two months ago Pattaya would have faltered in the second period but the Dolphins are a very different team now. Keeping their shape but growing stronger by the minute, it was of no surprise when the home side took the lead in the 58th minute, be it in rather unusual circumstances.
With a free kick out wide everyone, including the Ratchaburi keeper Ukrit, was expecting a cross. But Suphanan Bureerat had not read the script and he curled the ball to the far post and struck it so cleanly that it flew over the startled keeper’s head and into the net to give Pattaya a deserved 1-0 lead.
Each week the uncompromising right back Suphanan gives his all for the team and he rarely has a bad game. It was fitting that he should open the scoring and he must be in line for making the short list for Pattaya’s player of the season. One hopes that the management manage to sign him up on a full contract as it would be a tragedy if Muangthong recalled their loanee.
As the visitors tried desperately to get back into the game more space became available for the Dolphins to break into. This was helped with the introduction of Wellington Priori and in the 78th minute a break down the right resulted in a dangerous cross falling to the feet of Peeradol Chamratsamee. Needing no second invitation, Peeradon smashed it past Ukrti to double Pattaya’s lead.
With the game going into injury time a corner from Suphanan found the head of Lee Won-Young who directed the ball goal-wards where it was left to Aleksandr Jevtic, with a true goal poacher’s instinct, to deflect it into the net. A fine end to the evening and a wonderful winning 3-0 performance that sees the team climb to ninth in the table.
