Pattaya NNK United’s new coach Kim Hak-Chul enjoyed a bright start to his new tenure with a 3-1 home victory over fellow mid-table team Suphanburi FC last weekend.
The game opened tepidly with the visitors being the more cautious of the two sides, however Suphanburi did have the first attempt on goal when Tasevski tried to walk the ball into the net when a direct shot would likely have done the trick.
The miss was to prove costly as United took the lead in the 18th minute after Hassan headed the ball onto Wongsakorn for the game’s opening goal.
Two half-time substitutions for Suphanburi seemed to lift the intensity for the visiting team though Pattaya remained mostly in control after the resumption.
United’s Brazilian forward Pinto-Junior finally got what he wanted in the 76th minute, holding off some weak defending for a close tap-in to double the Dolphins’ lead. Perhaps seeing club debutant Francisco ready to come on to replace him did the trick for Junior.
Four minutes later United put the game out of reach when Suphanan converted on a counter attack to give the home team an unassailable 3-0 advantage. Suphanburi refused to bow down however and were rewarded with a consolation goal from Yong in the 84th minute.
Pattaya NNK United’s next fixture is a home game on Sunday July 10 against fellow promoted team Sukhothai FC. Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
