Buriram 1-0 FC Phuket

FC Phuket's final match of the season was utterly meaningless from a footballing point of view but there was a significant amount of prize money at stake.

It was also an interesting encounter because Buriram are linked with Buriram PEA and FC Phuket are linked with Muangthong Thing United.

Muangthong and Buriram PEA are the two main rivals in the Thai Premier League and a number of players on show were loaned out from these clubs.

In the end it was Buriram who prevailed after scoring the only goal of the game.

Fc Phuket 2 Samut Prakarn 1

FC Phuket came from behind to win courtesy of two second half goals from Thawin Butrasombat. The result ensures that the Southern Sea Kirin will be playing first division football next season.

Promotion...

I believe that FC Phuket only need a draw against Samut Prakharn to guarantee promotion.

FC Phuket have a better head to head record and I am under the impression (although not 100% confirmed) that head to head takes precedence over goal difference.

If this is the case than, due to FC Phuket's superior head to head record against Rayong, a point would guarantee second spot in the group.

FC Phuket 2-0 Rayong

Two goals from player of the season Diarra Ali, the first a penalty, give FC Phuket a 2-0 win against Rayong.

FC Phuket now need a win in their final home game against Samut Prakan on Christmas day ti guarantee promotion to Division One.

4pm Kick Off tomorrow...

Tomorrow's game will be kicking off at 4pm, not 6pm as previously advertized.

FC Phuket vs Rayong 19/12/10
Surakul Stadium
KO 4pm

FC Phuket vs Rayong on Sunday

FC Phuket have a make or break home game against Rayong on Sunday. The Southern Sea Kirin slipped to third in the Division Two Playoff Table after last week’s disappointing defeat against Chainat.

They are only a point behind the visitors Rayong and a win would leave FC Phuket in prime position to qualify whereas a loss could effectively end their prospects of promotion to Division One, depending on whether Chainat also win.

Arjan Songsamssub’s side have been imperious in front of their home fans this season and six points from the remaining two home game will be enough to secure promotion to Division One.

The club stand at something of a crossroads and if they fail to gain promotion Songsamssub, who has transformed the team’s fortunes, is likely to leave for new pastures. The players have demonstrated that they are far too good to remain in the regional divisions and star performers such as midfielder Diarra Ali will probably move on if FC Phuket do not gain promotion.

The match is scheduled to take place at the Surakul Stadium, kick off 6pm with tickets available for as little as 50 Baht.

League table courtesy of Thai League Football

Chainat 3-1 FC Phuket

Disappointing result but Rayong only drew meaning that FC Phuket are now third, a point behind Rayong and Chainat.

The top two teams are promoted meaning that if FC Phuket can win their last two games which are at home to Rayong and Samut Prakarn they will definitely make it into division one.

FC Phuket 2-0 Bangkok

FC Phuket are on course for promotion to Division One after defeating Bangkok FC 2-0 courtesy of goals from Sarach Yooyen and Poramut Krongborisut.

Loei City 0-0 FC Phuket

FC Phuket 2-1 Loei City

Full match report to follow...

Football Trials in Bangkok

info courtesy of: www.thaileaguefootball.com

Bangkok FC 1-1 FC Phuket

FC Phuket drew 1-1 away to Bangkok FC in the Division Two Champion's League on Saturday. It was the first match for the Southern Sea Kirin since their Ivory Coast midfielder Camara Ahmed suffered a heart attack during the game against Chairat last Saturday.

Camara is still in a coma although there were some signs of improvement on Friday when he opened his eyes for the first time since collapsing on the pitch at Surakul Stadium.

FC Phuket supporter's all wore white t-shirts with Camara's image printed on them and 5,400 Baht was raised which will go towards his medical costs.

The team lined up before kick off wearing the t-shirts and Camara’s brother was introduced to the crowd which contained a large contingent of African’s who had been asked to attend in tribute to the stricken star.

Teenage striker Adisak Kraisorn gave FC Phuket the lead with a simple finish after 31 minutes. Sarach Yooyen and Tawin Butrasombat combined well on the right hand side and Butrasombat unleashed a powerful drive which Bangkok FC goalkeeper Bayongon Bounde could only parry into the path of the onrushing Adisak.

FC Phuket's home form has been poor and the 50 or so fans who had made the trip to Bangkok were hoping that the defence could hold out for another 45 minutes to give the team a vital away win.

It was not to be as man of the match Jirat Kinkkrodklang grabbed a brilliant equalizer for the home side after 72 minutes. His free kick from the edge of the penalty area curled over the wall and into the top right hand corner of the net leaving the hapless FC Phuket goalkeeper Safari Nansen rooted to the spot.

At the conclusion of the match fans lit candles in a vigil for Camara who remains in a stable condition in Vachira Hospital in Phuket Town.

In other results Samut Prakarn beat Loei City 2-1 and Chainat drew 2-2 with Rayong to leave Group A looking wide open. Considering that they already have three away games under their belt and have only played once at Surakul Stadium FC Phuket will be confident that they can push on and secure one of the top two places and promotion to Division One.

For other results visit: Thai League Football

Camara Ahmed latest

Here is the latest news from the Phuket Gazette website today:

PHUKET: Teammates of FC Phuket player Camara Ahmed were today camped at out at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, where the star midfielder remains in intensive care after suffering cardiac arrest during Saturday night’s 1-0 playoff win over Chainat FC.

FC Phuket advisor Paitoon Chutimakornkul told the Gazette this afternoon that expert care by staff at the hospital’s Cardiac Care Unit kept the Ivory Coast player alive after he stopped breathing while being transported from the ambulance to the hospital's Cardiac Care Unit.

Noting that he has been suffering periodic convulsions, Mr Paitoon estimated Mr Ahmed's chances of survival at 50%.

Mr Ahmed in one of three Ivory Coast players on the team on loan from Thai Premier League defending champions Muangthong United FC.

He has been a stalwart of the team during its rise to win the Division 2 South crown and its qualification for the playoffs for promotion to Division 1.

Mr Paitoon describes him as a great and very diligent player.

He suggested Mr Ahmed’s heart problems may have stemmed from stress brought on by the must-win nature of the match, possibly combined with lack of rest and his habit of not eating rice or other carbohydrates prior to competition.

Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Paiboon Upatising was one of the many people who came to the hospital this afternoon to add his name to the growing list of signatures of people signing a guest book wishing Mr Ahmed the fastest possible recovery.

Mr Paiboon, who is also FC Phuket’s honorary president, said Mr Ahmed’s mother back in the Ivory Coast has been informed of his condition and is expected to travel to Phuket to assist in his care.

Team administrator Kazi Hans this morning told the Gazette that despite Mr Ahmed’s serious condition, changes in his breathing patterns when people he knows enter the room suggest he may have at least partial consciousness.

However, he has still been unable to open his eyes or speak since his collapse onto the turf in the second half of the the match at Surakul Stadium on Saturday night, she said.

You can view the original story on the Phuket Gazette website: here

FC Phuket's Camara Ahmed suffers heart attack during game

UPDATE:

Camara Ahmed is in a coma and his life is hanging in the balance.


FC Phuket's 1-0 win over Chairat was marred by a heart attack to midfielder Camara Ahmed (right).

The Ivory Coast midfielder, who is on loan from Muangthong United, collapsed during the second half of the game and was resuscitated by the Chairat physio. He is currently in intensive care in Bangkok Hospital in Phuket.

Camara has been almost ever present in the heart of the FC Phuket midfield this season. the team won Division Two (Southern Section) comfortably and are on track to gain promotion to Division One through the play offs.

Thawin Butrasombat, who was signed from Chaiyapum United in May, scored the only goal of the game with a header after 52 minutes. Chairat were top of the group with two wins from their opening two games and this was a vital win for the Southern Sea Kirin, who had drawn both their play off matches to date.

According to manager Arjan Songssamsub the players were too worried about Camara's suspected heart attack to celebrate this important win,

"I am happy we won but I am more concerned about the health of Camara. he has never had any sort of problem like this in the past and this has come as a surprise. He is in hospital but we are not able to visit him yet," he said.

You can see Camara scoring a brilliant long range goal away to Satun Utd in August here: youtube

FC Phuket Play off Update

FC Phuket have begun the promotional play offs with two credible away draws but it is essential they take all three points from their first home game on Saturday.

After drawing o-o away to Samut Prakarn the previous week the Southern Sea Kirin were once again frustrated by Rayong FC who held them to a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

FC Phuket actually went a goal down in the 57^th minute but teenage striker Adisak Kraisorn pulled one back almost immediately to salvage a point. Ever since the start of the season FC Phuket have struggled on their travels. The mission in the promotional play offs is clearly to avoid defeat away from home and defeat all comers at Surakul Stadium, or ‘Fortress Surakul’ as it is rapidly becoming known.

The fixture list has not been kind with the two away games followed by the visit of high flying Chainat, the only team in the play off group to have taken maximum points from their opening two games.

Manager Arjan Songsamssub feels that the team are improving but acknowledges that toppling table topping Chainat this Saturday will be a tough task,

“The second game with Rayong was better than the first game at Samut Prakarn, but the next game will be a real challenge as we are playing the group leader. We will do our best and hope to get a good result,” he said.

While failure to defeat Chainat would not necessarily prove fatal for FC Phuket’s promotional prospects it would be a major blow for Songsamssub’s side who need to finish in the top two of the group in order to gain a spot in Division One next season.

With only two rounds of matches played Loei City are already looking like the group’s whipping boys after suffering defeat at the hands of both Rayong and Chainat. Bangkok are the only other side to have lost a game

Chainat, who finished second to Chang Mai in Division Two (Northern Section) appear set to take one of the top two places, while Loei City look destined to spend another season in Division Two (North East Section) despite having won that league for two successive seasons.

It will probably come down to a battle between Rayong, Saumut Prakarn, Bangkok and FC Phuket for the second promotional spot. Rayong are currently in pole position in second place but their sole victory came against Loei City.

Every meeting between these four teams so far has ended in a draw making it very difficult to establish who will provide the biggest threat to FC Phuket’s aspirations of playing Division One football next season.

A win against Chainat would give the team a lot of momentum going into another tough looking away fixture away to Division Two (Bangkok Section) winners Bangkok FC. After that FC Phuket have a couple of eminently winnable back to back fixtures against Loei City but it is essential that the Southern Sea Kirin start winning games sooner rather than later.

FC Phuket’s match against Chairat is scheduled to take place at Surakul Stadium on Saturday October 30^th. Kick off 6pm.

Thanks to Thai League Football for table

Results:

17 October Bangkok FC 1-4 Chainat, Samut Prakhan 0-0 FC Phuket, Loei City 1-4 Rayong

24 October Samut Prakhan 2-2 Bangkok FC, Chainat 4-0 Loei City, Rayong 1-1 FC Phuket

FC Phuket Fixtures

NOVEMBER 6: @ Bangkok FC, 4pm

NOVEMBER 13: Loei City @ FC Phuket, 6pm

NOVEMBER 21: @ Loei City, 4pm

NOVEMBER 27: Bangkok FC @ FC Phuket, 6pm

DECEMBER 4: @ Chainat FC, 4pm

DECEMBER 12: Rayong FC @ FC Phuket, 4pm

DECEMBER 19: Samut Prakarn FC @ FC Phuket, 4pm

FC Phuket begin playoffs with two draws

FC Phuket have drawn their opening two games in their play off group.

They currently have two points from fixtures away to Samut Prakarn and Rayong.

FC Phuket playoff preview

The five fixtures which will decide FC Phuket’s promotional fate have been announced. Despite winning Division Two (Southern Section) comfortably the team still need to qualify from a play off group in order to secure a place in Division One.

FC Phuket have been drawn in the same group as Samut Prakan, Rayong, Chai Nat, Rajvithee and Loei City. The top two teams will secure a coveted spot in the second tier of Thai football.

The season, which began with a 0-0 draw at home to Pattalung in February, is not set to finish until December 19^th by which time FC Phuket will have played an incredible 11 months of football.

Fortunately most of Arjan Songsamssub’s men have had a chance to recover as the play offs have been delayed due to the AFC under 19 Championships. Teenagers Adisak Kraisorn, Chakrit Rawanprakorn and Sarach Yooyen have all been involved in the international action while the rest of the team have been training together in Bangkok in preparation for the play offs.

The fixture list has not been particularly kind to FC Phuket who start off with two away games. While their form at Surakul Stadium has been imperious the Southern Sea Kirin have sometimes struggled away from home. The opening match is away to Samut Prakarn who finished second in the Central & Eastern league.

The second match, a week later, is also away. This time FC Phuket travel to Rayong who finished third in the Central & Eastern league, a point behind Samut Prakarn. It will be essential that FC Phuket can get some points on the board before their first home game against Chai Nat who finished second in the Northern League.

The other two teams in the group, Loei City and Bangkok FC, could provide the stiffest tests for FC Phuket. Both won their respective divisions and will feel they are more than capable of finishing in the top two in the play off group. FC Phuket travel to Bangkok FC and then have back to back games with Loei City immediately before the home game against Bangkok FC.

These four matches are likely to go a long way towards deciding who wins this group. The good news for FC Phuket is that they finish with two home games, against Rayong and Samut Prakan. If the side are still in contention at this stage they will feel confident of taking maximum points from the final two matches at what is rapidly becoming referred to as ‘Fortress Surakul’.

After all the work which has gone into the radically improved side, both on and off the pitch, it would be a major disappointment if FC Phuket missed out on promotion. They won their division by an incredible 14 points and are clearly far too good for the third tier of Thai football. However that will count for nothing if FC Phuket are unable to prosper in the end of season play offs.

Can FC Phuket claim their rightful place in Division One or will Arjan Songsamssub’s side fall at the final hurdle? It has been an incredible season so far for FC Phuket but now it all comes down to these ten matches.

Sunday Oct. 17 Samut Prakan 4pm away
Sunday Oct. 24 Rayong 6pm away
Saturday Oct. 30 Chai Nat 6pm home
Saturday Nov. 6 Bangkok FC 4pm away
Saturday Nov. 13 Loei City 6pm home Sunday Nov. 21 visit Loei city 4pm Saturday Nov. 27 home Bangkok FC 6pm Saturday Dec. 4 away Chai Nat 4pm Saturday Dec. 12 home Rayong 6pm Sunday Dec. 19 home Samut Prakan 6pm

(kick off times subject to change, check local press for details)

Playoff Fixtures

Sunday Oct. 17 Samut Prakan 4pm away

Sunday Oct. 24 Rayong 6pm away

Saturday Oct. 30 Chai Nat 6pm home

Saturday Nov. 6 Rajvithee (Bangkok) 4pm away

Saturday Nov. 13 Loei City 6pm home

FC Phuket play off draw announced

FC Phuket have been drawn in Group B of the divisional play offs, along with: Loei City, Rajvithee FC of Bangkok, Chainat FC, Rayong FC and Samut Prakarn FC.

The play offs will get underway in mid to late October with the fixtures likely to be announced in the next couple of weeks. FC Phuket need to finish in the top two of the group in order to secure promotion to Division One.

Muang Thong Utd reach AFC Cup semi finals

Muang Thong Utd are through to the semi finals of the AFC Cup after beating Syrian side Al Karamah 2-0 at the Yamaha Stadium last night. Two first half goals were enough to see the home side through after a 1-0 loss in the first leg in Syria.

Virtually the entire FC Phuket squad made the trip to Muang Thong Thani to watch the match. The two clubs have a reciprocal arrangement and a number of FC Phuket's first team players, including Diarra Ali, Nene Bi and Adisak Kraisorn are actually on loan from Muang Thong Utd.

There is almost a month's break between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs as a couple of FC Phuket players, including Kraisorn, are in action for Thailand under 19's.

Muang Thong Utd actually played a group game in the AFC Cup at the Surakul Stadium earlier this year during the protests in Bangkok but they are now back at their home ground where they seldom lose a game.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg Muang Thong Utd delighted their vociferous supporters by levelling the tie after 32 minutes through a spectacular volley from Datsakorn Thonglao.

Ten minutes later Ivory Coast winger Christian Kouakou went down after the slightest of contact from Al Karamah defender Richard Etiege and the referee pointed to the spot. The penalty was duly converted by Siaka Dagno to give Muang Thong Utd a 2-1 lead on aggregate.

The visitors knew that they only needed to score once to go ahead under the away goals rule but they were unable to fashion any clear cut chances. Muang Thong Utd controlled the game in the second half and were unfortunate not be awarded another penalty.

Muang Thong Utd manager Rene Desayere was delighted by his side's performance,

“Tonight we played the best I have seen. We are all very happy and we hope this will spur us on in the competition. The Syrians were a very good side and we did not let one goal in against them. In fact we hardly let them have a shot," he said.

FC Phuket 2-1 Phang Nga

courtesy of Phuket Gazette

Goals either side of halftime from Thawin Butrsombat and Nithirot Sukuma were enough to ease FC Phuket to a 2-1 home win over Phang Nga FC at Surakul Stadium last night.

Thawin, signed during the mid-season break, put the Southern Sea Kirin 1-0 up after just seven minutes, when he kept his composure in the box to finish off a sweeping five-man move that began deep in the FC Phuket half.

Nithirot slotted home a second after 56 minutes when Diarra Ali’s shot rebounded off the goalkeeper after the African star had sprung the Phang Nga offside trap to run onto a clever through ball from defender Ronnachai Jinaket.

With 15 minutes remaining, the visiting side pulled a goal back but FC Phuket held on for the win to complete a memorable league campaign which has seen them collect 55 points.

Despite a couple of anxious moments, the home side closed out the match and after the final whistle collected the league trophy in front of their delighted supporters.

The celebration included the players hoisting Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Paiboon Upatising into the air and a fireworks display.

FC Phuket will now go into training for the playoffs for promotion to the first division.

Also qualifying for the playoff will be Trang FC, who secured the second place spot with a 1-0 win at home over Hat Yai FC last night.

Other results of Division 2 South matches played last night:

Pattani FC 1 - 0 Phattalung

Chumphon FC 0 - 1 Nakhon Sri Thammarat

Krabi FC 1 – 1 Satun United

Ranong FC 4 – 2 Surat FC

by Dan Ogunshakin and
S. Fein

FC Phuket vs Phang Nga

It is the final game of the season tonight and it is a local derby against Phang Nga. the Division Two trophy will be being presented to the team immediately after the game. Come along and celebrate. KO 6pm at the Surakul Stadium

CHAMPIONS!!!

Phattalung 0-2 FC Phuket

match report from the Phuket Gazette

translated by Stephen Fein

FC Phuket beat Phattalung FC, 2-0

PHUKET: FC Phuket rebounded from being bounced out of the Toyota League Cup competition last weekend with a solid 2-0 win at Phatthalung on Sunday.

Phattalung FC came into the pairing in tenth place in the 13-team Division 2 South of the AIS Regional League, while FC Phuket had already clinched the division title.

Both sides came out aggressively, but FC Phuket’s Nene Bi broke the deadlock with a goal at 13 minutes and the Southern Sea Kirin began to control the flow of the game after that. The second goal came at 25 minutes on a rebound shot from Chakrit Rawanprakhone.

Phattalung FC’s efforts to get back in the game were stifled by solid defending in the Phuket backfield and the Southern Sea Kirin held on to beat the Swiftlets 2-0.

The win brings the FC Phuket’s record to 16 wins, four losses and two draws, with a stunning +32 goal differential.

Other results in Division 2 South matches over the weekend: HatYai 1 - 1 Ranong; Phang Nga 2- 1 Chumphon; Surat Thani 6 - 1 Yala; Krabi 2 - 2 Trang; Satun 4 - 2 Nakhon Si Thammarat.

FC Phuket’s last game of the season is a home fixture starting at 6pm on Wednesday against Phang Nga FC.

The battle to see which Division 2 South team will grab second place, earning a spot alongside FC Phuket in the promotional playoffs, will be determined the same night, when all teams play their final matches. Trang could clinch it with a home win against Hat Yai FC.

The top of the points table looks like this going into the matches: Phuket 52; Trang 38; Satun United 37; Surat Thani 36, Ranong 35.

The fixtures are as follows: Trang v HatYai; Pattani v Phattalung; Chumphon v Nakhon Si Thammarat; Krabi v Satun United; Ranong v Surat Thani.


– Stephen Michael Fein

Osotspan Saraburi 3-1 FC Phuket

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg at the Surakul Stadium FC Phuket were faced with the unenviable task of defeating Osotspan Saraburi away from home if they were to progress to the second round of the Toyota League Cup.

A small contingent of FC Phuket fans made the trip to Saraburi for the match on Thursday night. An upset seemed to be on the cards when Ivory Coast midfielder Diarra Ali gave FC Phuket the lead after only three minutes.

FC Phuket were without captain and defensive lynchpin Suphat Onthong who broke his nose while training with Muang Thong Utd. His absence was felt keenly as the Southern Sea Kirin collapsed, conceding three goals before half time.

The match finished 3-1 meaning that FC Phuket lose 5-1 on aggregate.

Osotspan Saraburi 3-1 FC Phuket

match report to follow...

FC Phuket 1-2 Osotspa Saraburi FC

FC Phuket were desperately unlucky to be beaten 2-1 by Premier Division Side Osotspa Saraburi in the opening round of the Toyota League Cup. The first leg of the fixture took place at the Surakul Stadium on Sunday and represented a serious step up in opposition for FC Phuket who are currently two divisions below their opponents.

It was the first home fixture for the Southern Sea Kirin since clinching the Division Two title and a good chance for Arjan Songssamsub’s side to test themselves against a higher level of opposition. FC Phuket have already faced Premier League opposition this season and gave an extremely good account of themselves on that occasion. Samut Songkhram required two goals in extra time to knock FC Phuket out of the Thai FA Cup in the third round in June.

The disparity between the two divisions was obvious at the start of the match with FC Phuket struggling to adjust to the slightly higher pace of the game. It was Osotspa Saraburi who got the better of the opening exchanges but with Diarra Ali an increasingly influential presence in midfield FC Phuket improved as the half wore on.

The first chance of the game fell to Osotspa Saraburi striker Phaitoon Tiepma midway through the half but he blazed well over after good work on the right hand side by Ghanaian forward Evans Mensah. Moments later the sort of fast flowing counter attack which has become a familiar sight to FC Phuket fans this season ended with teenage winger Sarach Yooyen firing narrowly over the bar from long range.

FC Phuket goalkeeper Jacked Thamassaen almost gifted Osotspa Saraburi the lead but was able to recover and make a sharp save after he had fumbled a cross. FC Phuket were growing in confidence and Nene Bi almost gave his side the lead on the stroke of half time when he got his head on the end of a long range free kick from Diarra Ali. The Ivory Coast defender was desperately unfortunate to see his header across goal fly agonizingly wide of the post.

Disaster struck just two minutes into the second half for the home side when Phaitoon Tiepma was given time and space in the FC Phuket penalty area and despite getting two hands on the ball Thamassaen was unable to keep his shot out. Adisak Kraisorn spurned a glorious chance to equalize moments later when he was player through after good work by Diarra Ali but his shot lacked conviction and was comfortable saved by Mantehwa Lahmsombat.

Poramut Krongbrisut had a good chance after 57 minutes but he sliced his shot wide of the near post after being played through on goal with an intelligent through ball by Sarach Yooyen. It would prove to be a costly miss for FC Phuket as Osotspa Saraburi grabbed a second goal almost immediately after. Thailand under 23 international Apipoo Suntornpanavej whipped in a free kick from the right which eluded everyone including the hapless Thamassaen before nestling in the bottom right hand corner of the net.

It was harsh on FC Phuket who has more than matched their more illustrious opponents. To the team’s credit they picked up the pace and were extremely unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty after 66 minutes. Kraisorn brilliantly weaved his way through the Osotspa Saraburi defence and was just about to pull the trigger when a defender slid straight through him.

The crowd rose as one in anticipation of a penalty but the referee chose to waive away the furious FC Phuket protests and allow the game to continue.

A goal for FC Phuket finally arrived when Diarra Ali curled a brilliant free kick into the top right hand corner from 25 yards. It was a fine strike and no more than FC Phuket deserved for a battling performance.

Striker Chakrit Rawanprakon was thrown on as FC Phuket looked to grab an equalizer in injury time. The Osotspa Saraburi defence stood firm in the face of intense FC Phuket pressure and will take a commanding lead into the second leg.

The away goals rule means that FC Phuket are faced with the daunting task of scoring at least twice at the M-150 Stadium if they want to progress. Manager Songsamssub was still able to see the positives in this performance,

‘I think we were unlucky because we had a lot of chances to score but we did not take them well. I don’t blame the goalkeeper for either of their goals. Osotspa Saraburi are in the Premier Division and we are only in Division Two so I am pleased with our performance. I think Diarra Ali’s goal will help us and it is still possible to get into the next round,’ he said.

by James Goyder

FC Phuket 1-2 Osotspa Saraburi FC

match report to follow...

FC Phuket vs Osotspa Saraburi FC 5pm Kick Off

FC Phuket's home game with Osotspa Sraburi kicks off at 5PM, one hour earlier than the normal time.

FC Phuket in cup action this Sunday

FC Phuket will face Thai Premier League team Osotspa Saraburi FC in the opening round of the 2010 Toyota League Cup.

Matches are played over two legs and the first leg will be held at the Surakul Stadium this Sunday, Kick off 6pm.

It will be an interesting test for FC Phuket who have already won Division Two (Southern Section) and are hoping to qualify for Division One via the divisional play offs.

Nakhon Si Tammarat 1-4 FC Phuket

FC Phuket won 4-1 away to Nakhon Si Tammarat yesterday.

The league may already be won but the players still get substantial bonuses for winning matches. Thanks to Stephen Fein at the Phuket Gazette for translating this:


PHUKET: FC Phuket scored three second half goals to cruise to a 4-1 win at Nakhon Sri Thammarat yesterday.

The Southern Sea Kirin had already clinched the league, with 46 points going into the match, but were looking to build confidence for their big home match against Thai Premier League side Osotspa Saraburi FC in the opening round of the 2010 Toyota League Cup on Sunday.

The match will be played at Surakul Stadium starting at 6pm, according to the club’s website.

In yesterday’s match, at the OrBorJor Stadium in Nakhon Sri Thammarat’s Ron Phibul District, 11th-place Nakhon Sri Thammarat came out like a team with little to lose.

But despite some good chances early on, it was FC Phuket who drew first blood at 25 minutes when Nakhon Sri Thammarat keeper Thanadech Sriwichai managed to block a shot by Sarach Yooyen, but Phuket FC’s Nene Bi was well-positioned to slot the loose ball into the back of the net; Phuket 1-0.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat tied up the match just before halftime when a shot by Kittipong Sakuna deflected off Phuket defender Ronnachai Jinaket and went into the net.

FC Phuket regained the lead just one minute into the second half, when Thawin Butrsombat outmaneuvered the Nakhon Sri Thammarat keeper in a one-on-one showdown and kicked the ball home. FC Phuket, 2-1.

Nakhon Sri Thammat kept up the pressure but couldn’t convert. FC Phuket added an insurance goal at 75 minutes when a clearance by Thanadech fell into the path of Sarach Yooyen 40 yards out. The teen twisted himself and fired a gorgeous volley into the net to put FC Phuket up 3-1.

The final goal came at 80 minutes after a shot by Thawin Butrsombat shot from 20 years out. Thanadech blocked it, but the ball fell to Camara Hamed, who made no mistake finding the back of the net.

In another Regional League Division 2 South match with playoff implications played over the weekend, second-place Trang FC got a point from a scoreless draw on the road at Surat Thani. The result puts them three points clear of Ranong and Satun United, who are tied for third with 34 points each.

Only the first and second-place teams will qualify for the ‘mini-league’ playoff to decide which four Division 2 sides will be promoted to Division 1.

The playoff will involve the top two teams from each of the five regional leagues, plus the top two third-place teams from the larger divisions.

The twelve teams will divided into two groups of six teams each. After playing home and away matches in a round-robin format, the sides that come out first and second in each group will be promoted to Division 1.

Saturday: Phang Nga 1 – 0 Pattani; HatYai 1 – 1 Krabi; Surat Thani 0 – 0 Trang

Sunday: Satun 4 – 2 Chumphon; Phattalung 0 – 0 Yala

In a scheduling note, FC Phuket’s last home match of the season, against Phang Nga, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, September 8 to accommodate the Toyota League Cup match.

Daily News reported that AIS Regional League Commissioner Wimon Kanchana will travel to Phuket to present the league trophy to FC Phuket players after the match.

– Stephen Michael Fein

Champions!

FC Phuket are the Division Two (Southern Section) champions courtesy of a 2-1 away win against Ranong yesterday. More details to follow...

FC Phuket 2-0 Hat Yai

The Division Two (Southern Section) title is within touching distance for FC Phuket after a comfortable 2-0 win against Hat Yai at the Surakul Stadium on Sunday. FC Phuket went into this match brimming with confidence having put together back to back league wins after the surprise loss to Yala.

Safari Nanson replaced the injured Jagked Thamassaen in goal while Sarach Yooyen was absent due to suspension which meant a recall for Kittitach Kraitong. Adisak was once again left on the bench with Diarra Ali supporting 10 in attack. FC Phuket started the match extremely brightly and were unfortunate not to take an early lead when Kittitach Kraitong whipped in an excellent cross which Nithirot Sukuma was unable to convert.

Thawin Butrasombat then had a superb chance to get his name on the scoresheet when the ball fell kindly to him in the six yard box. He attempting to take the ball around the keeper but pushed it too far wide of goal allowing the defender to get back and block his eventual shot.

Just as it seemed Hat Yai had weathered the storm FC Phuket took the lead after 25 minutes through a perfectly executed free kick from Diarra Ali. The Ivory Coast midfielder is in great goalscoring form at present and he simply stroked the ball around the wall and into the bottom right hand corner of the goal from 25 yards.

Hat Yai were offering absolutely zero attacking threat and Nansen simply did not have a save to make although he looked uncharacteristically commanding when claiming a couple of crosses. Diarra Ali almost made it 2-0 a few minutes before half time but his header was well tipped over the bar by the Hat Yai keeper.

Defender Pongsak Panicharoen was replaced by striker Adisak Kraisorn at half time in a move which saw Diarra Ali drop back into central midfield. After a promising start to his FC Phuket career Kraisorn has been out of favour in recent weeks. He had a good goalscoring opportunity early in the second half when he got on the end of a
Diarra Ali free kick but his header bobbled agonizingly wide.

A well worked free kick routine between the two Ivory Coast midfielders almost paid off after 65 minutes. Diarra Ali shaped to shoot but instead passed the ball to Camara who promptly played it back into his path. Diarra Ali then pulled the ball back to give the onrushing Camara an extremely presentable opportunity but he blazed wastefully over the bar.

Fortunately for Camara he would not have to wait too long for another opportunity to present itself. This time he made no mistake providing a composed finish at the end of an intricate series of passes to make the score 2-0 after 75 minutes. There was still time for Camara to create a chance for Thawin Butrasombat but the striker's first touch let him down and allowed the keeper to make the save.

Although the league title is still not a mathematical certainty for the Southern Sea Kirin only a series of extremely improbable results would prevent FC Phuket from finishing first. While manager Arjan Songsamssub is pleased at the progress which is being made he warns that that the play offs will present a very tough test for his fledgling side,

‘We have to win one more game. All the teams in the play offs are very strong so it will be very hard for us. I believe we can do it and I hope we can do it,’ he said.

Phuket under 16s

The Phuket under 16 team put in a very credible performance in the Prime Minister's Cup.

The 12 regions which qualified for the competition, which was held in Phuket, were divided into two groups. The top two teams met in the semi finals and the winners will meet in the final in Bangkok.

Phuket finished third in their group so didn't make the semi finals but were put in a third and fourth places play off against Bangkok.

Phuket conceded a late goal and lost 2-1 but it was a very credible overall performance, particularly considering that Phuket has a comparatively small population and no specialist sports colleges at present.

FC Phuket 2-1 Satun Utd MATCH REPORT & GOALS

This article originally appeared here: http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=9032&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Thanks to Stephen Fein from the Phuket Gazette for translating this from a Thai media source.

First-place FC Phuket won a key football match on Sunday, with a clutch 2-1 road win over second-place Satun United.

Satun United, coming off a 1-0 win over Hatyai FC, were in high spirits for the match against FC Phuket, who won the first encounter played at Surakul Stadium in March by a score of 2-0.

In second place with 31 points, Satun United hoped to cut FC Phuket’s six-point lead in half by taking all three points.

Satun went into the match with no injuries, but FC Phuket were without teenage winger Sarach Yooyen. However Phuket FC’s Ivory Coast trio of Diarra Ali, Nene Bi and Camara were all ready for the encounter.

The festive atmosphere started with the large green-shirted “The Hulk” supporters of FC Phuket Southern Sea Kirin presenting a birthday cake to Phuket substitute player Wilas Kerdmoh.

There was also an appearance by Satun Governor Sumeth Chailertwanichakul, who distributed free footballs paid for out of his own pocket to excited fans before the kickoff.

The match started with Satun United pressing the attack, but at five minutes FC Phuket’s Camara opened the scoring with a beautiful goal. He took a long throw-in from behind the center and ran up the left side before shaking off a defender, then placing a looping shot into the top right-hand corner of the goal from outside the penalty area.

Satun United came back hard and had some excellent scoring opportunities, but these were foiled by some outstanding saves by FC Phuket keeper Jakkrit Thammasen.

FC Phuket took a 2-0 lead into the locker room with a nice goal by Ali, who threw off two defenders inside the penalty area before blasting a shot low on the ground past Satun United defender Sony.

Satun United’s desperate efforts to get back in the match were finally rewarded at 80 minutes on a gorgeous free kick into the top-right corner of the goal by their captain Pichet Sadeen.

Satun’s failure to get a second goal lead to some frustration by some fans, who hurled water bottles at injured Phuket player Pongsak as he lay on the turf. After the match the FC Phuket coaching staff were also targeted. Fortunately no injuries were reported.

FC Phuket keeper Jakkrit Thammasen was named man of the match.

Phuket FC’s next match is at home against Hatyai FC on Sunday. The start time is listed at 5pm, but the kickoff at most matches this year has been around 6pm.

Admission is 50 baht for adults, 20 baht for children.

In other AIS Regional League Division 2 South matches played Sunday:

# Chumphon FC 3 – 1 Pattani FC

# Phang Nga FC 2 – Ranong FC 1

# Nakhon Sri Thammarat FC 3 – 0 Yala FC


If you are not sure what a clutch road win is, or how it is possible to run onto your own throw in then you can check out all the goals on youtube

Satun FC 1 FC Phuket 2

Goals from Momo Camara and Diarra Ali were enough to give the Southern Sea Kirin all three points and move them closer to the end-of-season playoffs.

FC Phuket 5-1 Chumphon

FC Phuket bounced back from the disappointment of their first home defeat of the season last weekend to thrash Chumphon 5-1 at the Surakul Stadium on Saturday. The result consolidates FC Phuket’s lead at the top of Division Two (Southern Section) and leaves the Southern Sea Kirin in pole position to make the promotional play offs.

The driving force behind the victory was teenage midfielder Sarach Yooyen who scored twice in a man of the match performance. Yooyen has played mostly on the wing this season but was named in central midfield alongside Camara. Adisak Kraisorn was rested and regular central midfielder Diarra Ali was moved into a more advanced role to support livewire striker Thawin Butrasombat.

The perpetually poor Safari Nelson was replaced by Jagkid Thamassaen in goal as manager Arjan Songsamssub rang the changes in an attempt to get the Sothern Sea Kirin back to winning ways. His selection policy appeared to have paid dividends when FC Phuket took the lead after 16 minutes with a well worked goal. Thawin Butrasombat found Diarra Ali in the penalty area who played the ball into the path of the onrushing Yooyen who finished with aplomb.

Butrasombat was replaced by Chakrit Rawanprakorn after 26 minutes apparently suffering from a serious shoulder injury. Poramut Krongborisut found himself playing in a more central role after the injury to Butrasombat and he showed fantastic composure to put FC Phuket 2-0 up after 31 minutes with a sharp turn and smart finish.

Chumphon were able to pull a goal back when for the second week in a row FC Phuket conceded a goal from a free kick. This time the goal keeper was blameless as the ball was expertly bent around the wall and into the far corner of the goal.

FC Phuket started the second half the stronger and Camara Ahmed was unfortunate to see a rasping 30 yard drive tipped over the crossbar by the Chumphon keeper. Yooyen should have scored his second of the game when the ball fell to him after a flowing counter attack but his shot was straight at the keeper.

The third goal finally arrived in the 57th minute from the simplest of set pieces. Yooyen’s corner was headed in by Nene Bi. The Ivory Coast defender injured his thigh celebrating the goal and had to be replaces moments later.

FC Phuket already had a grip on this increasingly bad tempered game and any faint hopes of a Chumphon fight back were effectively extinguished when one of their players was harshly dismissed for a high challenge with ten minutes remaining.

There was still time for Diarra Ali, who missed a penalty last week, to miss a sitter after a Sarach Yooyen shot was fumbled into his path. Chakrit got his name on the score sheet in the 89th minute when the ball fell to his feet in the penalty area and he poked it home and man of the match Yooyen claimed the fifth and final goal when he walked the ball into the net after an outstanding FC Phuket counter attack.

FC Phuket vs Chumphon

I've been on holiday all week but last week's match report is now online. FC Phuket are at home to Chumphon at 6pm today.

Will there be a change of goalkeeping personnel? I hope so as I can't see why the manager persists in picking the blatantly useless Safari. The other keeper, Jakged, may not be about to win any weight watcher awards but he can at least catch the ball.

FC Phuket 0-2 Yala

FC Phuket went into the game at the top of the table having taken maximum points from every single home match so far this season. Yala, by contrast, were sitting in tenth position with just four wins from sixteen games.

The home side got off to the worst possible start when they conceded the opening goal from a harmless looking free kick after only two minutes. Safari Nelson was the first choice goalkeeper for the previous campaign but failed to convince and lost his place to new signing Jagkid Thamassaen at the start of this season.

Thamassaen has been a consistent performer so it came as something of a surprise to FC Phuekt fans when Nelson was recalled. He made a couple of glaring errors in the last home game which he was fortunate to get away with, this time he was not so lucky.

Yala got a free kick near the half way line which was over hit by Abdun Safee but Nelson’s positioning was terrible and he could only watch as the ball sailed over his head and into the empty net.

Yala could easily have gone two goals up five minutes later when they saw a strike ruled out by a dubious linesman’s flag. FC Phuket enjoyed a lot of possession but were able to create few clear cut chances. Nene Bi had a good opportunity from a corner in the 29^th minute but his header was easily saved by the Yala keeper and the away team held on to take a one goal lead into the second half.

Niwes Petjamrus, the full back who endeared himself to FC Phuket fans by adopting the role of head cheer leader when he was injured at the start of the season, was replaced at half time. Poramut Krongborisut, who can play either out wide or up front, was brought on in his place in an attacking substitution.

A second half onslaught was expected by the Surakul faithful but Yala were desperate to hold onto their lead and adjusted their tactics accordingly. The away side showed zero attacking intent choosing to play their midfield in extremely close proximity to their defence. This formation left their forwards almost totally isolated but also created an extremely congested area for FC Phuket to try and pass the ball through.

The breakthrough did not arrive until the 64^th minute when teenage striker Adisak Kraisorn was brought down in the box after a clever one two. Diarra Ali stepped up to take the penalty but it was a tame effort which the Yala keeper Nirudin Nideha easily stopped. The feeling that this was not going to be FC Phuket’s day was compounded five minutes later when Diarra Ali was given a glorious chance to atone for his earlier penalty miss but dragged his shot wide.

Despite FC Phuket’s dominance when the goal finally did arrive it was Yala who scored it. When Amat Kadaffi received the ball wide on the left wing in the 84th minute his strike partner Maha Manayoopee was off the pitch receiving treatment leaving him totally isolated. With four FC Phuket defenders between him and the goal and absolutely no support from his team mates he decided to go it alone. He did so to brilliant effect leaving three defenders trailing in his wake before cutting inside and placing a shot beyond the despairing dive of the hapless Nansen.

It was the best goal to have been scored at the Surakul Stadium in recent history and

Manager Arjan Songsamsub was disappointed but refused to blame Safari Nelson for the goal,

‘I don’t regret picking him. I don’t know what happened with the goal. I think he was unlucky. He has played three matches this season before today and we have won all three of them,’ he said.

Despite this setback FC Phuket remain seven points clear at the top of Division Two (Southern Section) and are on course for a place in the promotion play offs.

Pattani 1-3 FC Phuket

more news to follow when I get it...

FC Phuket 2-0 Trang

FC Phuket strengthened their grip on the Division Two (Southern section) title with a hard fought 2-0 win over second placed Trang on Saturday. FC Phuket were two points ahead of Trang with a game in hand going into the game at the Surakul Stadium, the first at home since the mid season break.

Goalkeeper Safari Nelson was surprisingly recalled to the starting line up at the expense of Jagkid Thamassaen while there was also a home debut for striker Thawin Butrasombat. The first half was uneventful with FC Phuket dominating possession but unable to find the breakthrough against a resolute Trang defence.

Butrasombat looked lively and provides a much needed physical presence up front but saw his best effort of the half blocked by a last ditch tackle. The closest FC Phuket came to unlocking the Trang defence was when Nithirot Sukuma got to the left byline and pulled the ball back for teenage midfielder Srach Yooyen who was unable to get good contact on his shot.

Sarach Yooten had the best chance of the half but scuffed his shot after good work down the left wing from Nithirot Sukuma. The second half began with a series of FC Phuket corners and the breakthrough finally came in the 50th minute when a clearance fell to Camara Ahmed who found the top corner of the net from 25 yards.

Teenage striker Adisak Kraisorn did manage to get behind the Trang backline on a couple of occasions but was beaten to the ball by the keeper both times. FC Phuket continued to press and added a second in the 75th minute when Nene Bi rose highest to meet a long range free kick with a header which beat the Trang keeper at the near post

Safari Nelson was the first choice goalkeeper for FC Phuekt last season but did not look particularly convincing. He almost gifted Trang a goal, completely misjudging the flight of a long ball and was fortunate to see a defender clear the ball from the line. A 2-0 win was little more than FC Phuket deserved and manager Arjan Songsamssub pronounced himself well pleased with the performance,

‘I am very happy because Trang were the second placed team and if they had won they would have overtaken us. The new players are just starting to learn the system and how we play the game but I think they will fit in well. Camara’s long shot was beautiful and it was his first ever goal for FC Phuket,’ he said.

Please note the Trang game is SUNDAY, not Saturday as previously stated on here.

Surat Thani 1-3 FC Phuket

FC Phuket won their first away game of the season away to Surat Thani this weekend.

This should give the team plenty of confidence going into this weekend's top of the table clash with Trang.

FC Phuket are currently two points ahead of Trang with a game in hand and will take a giant step towards winning the league if they can win on Sunday.

Kick off 6pm at the Surakul Stadium.

FC Phuket fixtures July & August

FC Phuket fixtures

26 June Surat Thani vs FC Phuket 4.30pm

4 July phuket vs trang 5pm

11 July pattani vs phuket 4pm

18 July phuket vs yala 5pm

24 July phuket vs chumphon 5pm

1 August satun utd vs phuket 5pm

8 August FC Phuket vs Hat Yai 5pm

14 August ranong vs fc phuket 5

22 August nakon si tammarat vs phuket 5

Krabi 3-2 FC Phuket

FC Phuket lost 3-2 away to Krabi today.

You would already know this if you were following me on twitter

FC Phuket vs Krabi

FC Phuket travel to Krabi today for the first match since the mid season break.

FC Phuket are currently top of the table but have yet to win a single away game.


They signed four new players during the mid season break.

#10 Thawin Butrasombat, FW, from Chaiyaphum United.

13 goal from the first half of this season; 3 hat-tricks and a 4-goal

#11 Wipart Kirdmoah, Offensive MF, from Nakhon Ratchasima FC

Scored a goal in the FA cup match with FC Phuket earlier this season.

#15 Kheerit Mahatthananont, FW, from Nakhon Pathom. Played with Nakhon Pathom team in National Sports Event. Played with Ratchaburi in D1 a few years ago.

#39 Luechar Jantawong, GK, a Phuketian from Kathu. Playing in local football team.

FC Phuket 2-1 Samut Prakarn

FC Phuket progressed to the next round of the Thai F.A. Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory away to Samut Prakarn. FC Phuket travelled to Bangkok for the second round tie having defeated Nakhon Ratchasima 2-1 at home in the opening round.

Prolific teenager Adisak Kraisorn opened the scoring in the sixth minute. His strike partner Chakrit Rawanprakorn, who has also enjoyed a highly productive season in front of goal, added a second in the 37th minute.

Samut Prakarn threatened to make a come back when they pulled a goal back late in the second half but FC Phuket held on for the win and progress to the third round of the competition.

FC Phuket 2-0 Surat Thani 0

FC Phuket maintained their 100% home record with a comfortable 2-0 win over Surat Thani. FC Phuket had to do without the suspended Diarra Ali but were still able to put on a match winning performance in the influential midfielders absence.

FC Phuket took the lead late in the second half through Poramut. An FC Phuket corner was only half cleared and centre half Ronnachai collected the ball wide on the right wing. He did well to reach the touch line and even better to loft a cross which fell kindly for the free scoring FC Phuket winger to score with a well taken volley.

A bad tempered game always threatened to deteriorate and it was no surprise when a Surat Thani player was given his second half marching orders for an ill advised elbow.

Kittitach (pictured) soon added a second with a composed finish. FC Phuket broke the offside trap leaving the striker with only the keeper to beat and he made no mistake bending the ball into the corner with an audacious chip.

Moments later the Surat Thani players left the field, seemingly intent on having the game abandoned. Apparently they were unhappy at what they perceived to be the poor lighting at the Surakul Stadium. Visibility did not seem to be particularly poor and after an extensive consultation the officials deemed that the match should continue.

Jagked was promptly forced into action with a smart save from a free kick and then again as a mishit shot threatened to spin into the top of the net from the resulting corner.

With the clock ticking down teenage winger Ronnachai led an incisive FC Phuket counter attack. He whipped in a cross which was erronously ruled offside by the linesman. The referee then compounded the error by showing Ronnachai a second yellow card, presumably for debating the decision. Although the result was not in jeapordy the 17 year old was visibly upset at being dismissed

FC Phuket vs Surat Thani

Confusion may reign over exactly where FC Phuket stand in the league table but what is for certain is that they will be playing Surat Thani tomorrow (Saturday).

The match will kick off at 6pm at the Surakul Stadium and FC Phuket's passionate supporters are sure to be out in force.

For your benefit I have translated one of the Thai Supporters favourite songs so that even farang fans can now join in the fun.

It goes:

Puak kao ma cheer, puak khao ma cheer, puak khao ma cheer fc phuket.

which roughly translated means:

we come to cheer, we come to cheer, we come to cheer FC Phuket.

See you all at the Surakul...

League table confusion

According to the official Football Association of Thailand league table FC Phuket are second:

http://www.fat.or.th/web/RL2010-table4.php

However, FC Phuket have only been awarded 15 points for 5 home wins when they have played 6 times at home this season. FC Phuket have won their last five home games and the result of the first home game with Pattalung, which they drew 0-0, was supposedly changed to a home win.

The league table did originally reflect this result but now it doesn't. I am not entirely sure why. If the win against Pattalung stands FC Phuket are two points clear at the top, and if the original result against Pattalung (draw) stands they are still top on goal difference.

Clear as mud?

Hat Yai 0-0 FC Phuket

FC Phuket are still looking for their first away win of the season after drawing 0-0 away to Hat Yai. The result sees them slip back into second place in Division two behind Trang who beat Yala 1-0.

FC Phuket 2-1 Krabi

FC Phuket maintained their one hundred per cent home record and returned to the top of the table with a hard fought win over local rivals Krabi last Saturday.

Krabi and FC Phuket have enjoyed contrasting fortunes this season with the latter right up in the promotion places and the former struggling near the foot of the table. Despite their lowly league status Krabi provided the sternest test of FC Phuket's promotion credentials of any team to visit the Surakul Stadium this season.

Manager Arjan Songsamsub reshuffled his pack playing Nene Bi, who had previously played all his football here in centre defence, in the lone striker’s role.

FC Phuket played a 4-3-3 formation which became 4-5-1 when Krabi were in possession meaning that leading goal scorer Adisak found himself somewhat surprisingly playing wide on the right.

The tactic was not entirely successful as Krabi had the better of the opening exchanges. The closest that either side came to scoring was when the visitors hit the post with a speculative shot from near the right touchline after a corner had been cleared.

Krabi's keeper appeared less than convincing, underhitting a couple of early clearances, and was entirely culpable as FC Phuket grabbed an opener against the run of play. A speculative cross from the left hand wing caused the keeper to come charging off his line allowing the ever impressive Diarra Ali to head the ball into an empty net.

Songsamsub changed things round at half time, moving Diarra Ali back into central defence and pushing Poramut and Adisak up front in a more conventional 4-4-2 formation. The tactic almost backfired spectacularly with Nene Bi and goalkeeper Jagked getting in a mix up and the Ivory Coast defender fortunate to see the ball bounce harmlessly off the post after he had inadvertently deflected it goalwards.

Nene Bi almost redeemed himself moments later when his curling free kick could only be punched clear by the ever unconvincing Krabi keeper. Jagked was then forced into making a smart save with his feet at the other end but it was to no avail as moments later Krabi grabbed an equaliser with an unstoppable pile driver of a shot from the corner of the penalty area.

The passionate FC Phuket home support, who have split into two factions each sitting at opposite ends of the ground, were undeterred. With the crowd’s chants ringing in their ears FC Phuket started to enjoy increasing possession with the visitors content to settle for a point.

Songsamsub decided to go for broke, bringing substitute Chakrit off the bench and the striker made an instant impact. A right wing cross fell kindly for him and he showed real composure to chest the ball down before blasting it into the roof of the net.

The win keeps FC Phuket in contention at the top of the table despite having failed to win a single away game. Speaking after the match manager Songsamsub defended his decision to tinker with the sides tactics,

'Krabi's defenders are good in the air so I played Nene Bi up front because he is stronger than any of my other strikers and can hold the ball up well. We were leading 1-0 at half time and had some problems with our defence so I decided to change things round. I was expecting more of a long ball game from Krabi in the second half and Nene Bi is good in the air so I moved him back to centre half.'

While Songsamsub's first half tactics may not have convinced, his second half substitution surely changed the course of the game, 'Chakrit is a real striker. He is not good in the build up but his shooting is very good and I wanted to win the game,' he said.

Chakrit's late winner kept up FC Phuket's record of winning every single game at the Surakul Stadium this season. Songsamsub is in little doubt as to why the team's home form is so much better than their away form,

'The fans make a big difference to the players. I think that is why we are so good at home.'

FC Phuket travel to Hat Yai on May 2nd and the next home game is against Surat Thani on May 8th.

FC Phuket vs Krabi

Today 6pm.

Come along and support the Southern Sea Kirin.

Muang Thong Utd 0-1 South China

Once again Phuket football has been a major beneficiary of political turmoil in the countries capital as Muang Thong Utd’s AFC Cup group match with South China was moved to the Surakul Stadium last week.

It is the second year in a row that a major football match has been moved from Bangkok to Phuket . Last January the King’s Cup tournament, featuring Thailand, Denmark, Lebanon and North Korea was switched to the Surakul Stadium at the 11^th hour.

Muang Thong Utd qualified for the Asian Confederations Cup courtesy of winning the Thai league last year. A win against South China would have guaranteed qualification from Grouh G of the Asia Cup to the knock out stages.

South China started the game the stronger side and enjoyed an extended spell of possession. They came close to taking a surprise lead when a free kick from the right touchline eluded everyone in the penalty area and came back off the bar. Captain Li Haiqiang could and probably should have given his side the lead but dragged a shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Muang Thong started to get into the game and were unfortunate not to take the lead when a headed clearance fell at the feet of Pichitphong Choeichiu whose well taken volley clipped the outside of the post.

A few challenges were flying in and these early exchanges were increasingly punctuated by the referee’s whistle.

Then came the turning point of the entire game, a South China defender collapsed after an off the ball altercation with Muang Thong Utd’s talismanic forward Yala (pictured). The assistant referee had an unhindered view of the incident and after a moment’s consultation the referee showed no hesitation in producing a red card.

Despite the dismissal Muang Thong Utd came out strong in the second half and had the better opportunities to score. South China were enjoying more possession but Muang Thong Utd’s swift counter attacking football was proving extremely effective.

The referee did the ‘home’ side a considerable favour by sending off South China’s Brazilian forward Tales Schutz for an extremely innocuous looking challenge. Now playing 10 against 10 Muang Thong Utd sensed the win was within their grasp and captain Wittawin Klorwuttiwat can count himself extremely unfortunate to have seen his header rebound back off the crossbar.

Then disaster struck in the dying minutes. Muang Thong Utd conceded possession deep in the South China half allowing their opponents to break. After good work on the left win the ball fell at the feet of Wong Chin Hung who finished emphatically, placing his shot low into the bottom right hand corner of the Munag Thong Utd goal.

The result leaves South China level on goal difference with Muang Thing Utd who will need to win their final group game, away to Indonesian side Persiwa Wamena to guarantee qualification.

As recently as 2007 Muang Thong Utd were playing in the third tier of Thai football much like FC Phuket are at present. Muang Thong Utd managed to achieve consecutive promotions before winning the Premier League at the first attempt last season. Muang Thong Utd’s rapid rise, which has come with the aid of considerable investment, will give FC Phuket hope that they too can enter the upper echelons of Thai football.

Muang Thong Utd vs South China

6:30pm kick off tonight at the Surakul Stadium.

Come and watch the Thai champions in action in the Asia Cup.

Muang Thong Utd vs South China

Thai Champions Muang Thong Utd will be playing South China in the AFC Cup on Tuesday night at the Surakul Stadium.

The match, which is scheduled to kick off at 6pm, has been moved to Phuket from Bangkok due to the ongoing political turmoil in the countries capital.

The AFC Cup is the Asian equivalent of the UEFA Cup and Muang Thong Utd currently sit top of their group with South China in second spot, three points behind them.

FC Phuket 1-2 Trang

FC Phuket slipped to third after suffering their first defeat of the season at Trang. The Southern Sea Kirin have won every home game this season but have yet to win away from home. Yesterday's opponents Trang are top of the division while Yala move up to second courtesy of a 0-0 draw with Satun Utd.

Surat Thani are level of points with FC Phuket courtesy of a 2-0 win over Phang Nga but have a game in hand.

With only five points separating the top five teams FC Phuket will need to urgently address their away form if they are to fulfill their promotion ambitions.

FC Phuket vs Trang

FC Phuket travel to Trang for a top of the table clash today. FC Phuket are currently top of the table on 17 points but Trang are only two points behind them and a win would see them overtake the Southern Sea Kirin.

FC Phuket have yet to win away from home, drawing every single away game. These two sides met in a pre season tournament with FC Phuket winning on penalties after a goalless draw but FC Phuket have improved vastly over the course of the season.

FC Phuket are only ahead of second placed Yala courtesy of goal difference so anything other than a win could see Yala overtake them at the top of Division Two (southern section).

FC Phuket 5-0 Korat

FC Phuket comfortably saw of the challenge of Nakhon Ratchasima to progress to the next round of the Thai FA Cup. The Division Two (Northern Section) side made the long journey down from Korat to face Arjhan Songgamsub's team at what is fast becoming referred to as 'Fortress Surakul'.

Any aspirations that the visitors had of remaining in the knock out competition at FC Phuket's expense were swiftly dispelled as prolific teenage striker Adisak burst through a statuesque defence to give the Sea Kirin a first minute lead.

Songgamsub has been shrewd in his selection of the three permitted foreign players and Ali Diarra and Camara in midfield and Nene Bi at the heart of the defence give FC Phuket a solid spine. The three men from the Ivory Coast were all instrumental in ensuring Nakhon Ratchasima enjoyed minimal first half posession as FC Phuket passed the ball around on an improved Surakul surface with alacrity.

FC Phuket have won every home game this season, the goalless draw on the opening day of the season with Pattalung having been changed to a win due to irregularities in the fielding of foreign players by Pattalung.

This record never appeared in serious threat until FC Phuket keeper Jagked, without having had a serious save to make, found himself picking the ball out of the net. While the goal was entirely against the run of play it was perfectly executed as a looping header from a far post cross eluded everyone before nestling in the back of the net.

FC Phuket has captured the imagination of football fans on the island and the home support was once again fantastic, noisily supporting the team from start to finish. This confidence has clearly infected the FC Phuket players who, undeterred by this setback, continued to dominate posession. Within minutes of the equalizer FC Phuket made the breakthrough with Poramut being scythed down in the penalty area and the referee showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

The outstanding Ali Diarra was given the responsibility and the midfielder calmly sent the keeper the wrong way to give FC Phuket a well deserved half time lead.

The second half was a lacklustre affair as FC Phuket slightly lost their grip on the game. Nakhon Ratchasima lacked the quality to exploit the hosts hesitation though and the best chances of the half still fell to the Sea Kirin with Adisak spurning a glorious opportunity with a harmless cross cum shot from the right hand flank.

Ali Diarra looks an outstanding acquisition and put in a goalscoring man of the match performance for the second consecutive home game. With FC Phuket already looking too good for Division Two an encounter with a Division One side in the next round of the Thai FA Cup is an intriguing possibility.

FC Phuket 5-0 Ranong

FC Phuket turned on the style to demolish Ranong 5-0 at the Surakul Stadium.

Match report to follow...

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FC Phuket 2-1 Nakhon Ratchasima

FC Phuket comfortably saw of the challenge of Nakhon Ratchasima to progress to the next round of the Thai FA Cup. The Division Two (Northern Section) side made the long journey down from Korat to face Arjhan Songgamsub's team at what is fast becoming referred to as 'Fortress Surakul'.

Any aspirations that the visitors had of progressing to the next round of the competition at FC Phuket's expense were swiftly dispelled as prolific teenage striker Adisak burst through a statuesque defence to give the Sea Kirin a first minute lead.

Songgamsub has been shrewd in his selection of the three permitted foreign players and Ali Diarra and Camara in midfield and Nene Bi at the heart of the defence give FC Phuket a solid spine. The three men from the Ivory Coast were all instrumental in ensuring Nakhon Ratchasima enjoyed minimal first half posession as FC Phuket passed the ball around on an improved Surakul surface with alacrity.

FC Phuket have won every home game this season, the goalless draw on the opening day of the season with Pattalung having been changed to a win due to irregularities in the fielding of foreign players by Pattalung.

This record never appeared in serious threat until FC Phuket keeper Jagked, without having had a serious save to make, found himself picking the ball out of the net. While the goal was entirely against the run of play it was perfectly executed as a looping header from a far post cross eluded everyone before nestling in the back of the net.

FC Phuket has captured the imagination of football fans on the island and the home support was once again fantastic, noisily supporting the team from start to finish. This confidence has clearly infected the FC Phuket players who, undeterred by this setback, continued to dominate posession. Within minutes of the equalizer FC Phuket made the breakthrough with Poramut being scythed down in the penalty area and the referee showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

The outstanding Ali Diarra was given the responsibility and the midfielder calmly sent the keeper the wrong way to give FC Phuket a well deserved half time lead.

The second half was a lacklustre affair as FC Phuket slightly lost their grip on the game. Nakhon Ratchasima lacked the quality to exploit the hosts hesitation though and the best chances of the half still fell to the Sea Kirin with Adisak spurning a glorious opportunity with a harmless cross cum shot from the right hand flank.

Ali Diarra looks an outstanding acquisition and put in a goalscoring man of the match performance for the second consecutive home game. With FC Phuket already looking too good for Division Two an encounter with a Division One side in the next round of the Thai FA Cup is an intriguing possibility.

Yala 0-0 FC Phuket

FC Phuket drew away from home for the third consecutive match. The Southern Sea Kirin have a 100% home record but have drawn all three away games, managing only one goal on their travels.

Yala are currently sitting second in the table behind FC Phuket who will remain in the top spot regardless of the results of today's fixtures.

Division Two (southern section) league table

Here is the league table translated into English, I don't know how I can get it to display any bigger but you can see the original (without the english translation) here: Table

FC Phuket play third place Yala tomorrow and will be looking for their first away win of the season.

FC Phuket 3-0 Pattani

FC Phuket cruised to a 3-0 victory over Pattani to solidify their status as the Division two (southern section) league leaders.

Goals from Diarra, Poramut and Sarach sealed the points with Pattani, who were unfortunate not to be awarded a second half penalty, able to offer little more than token resistance.

With the normal centre half pairing of the outstanding Nene Bi and team captain Sampet unavailable due to suspension and injury respectively FC Phuket were forced to field a makeshift defence. Goalkeeper Jagked, celebrating his 27th birthday, was awarded the captaincy for the day and was able to celebrate with the most comfortable of clean sheets.

Fc Phuket supporters...

Not only do FC Phuket now have the best team in the division, they also have the best looking supporters in the entire league.

Here are a small selection of ladies from the supporters club posing with their favourite players after last Saturday's game.

FC Phuket 2-0 Satun Utd

FC Phuket defeated league leaders Satun Utd 2-0 in a
result which will send shockwaves through the league.

Even more impressive than the result was the performance from FC Phuket, who remain unbeaten after five matches.

They dominated the match from start to finish with Satun Utd never able to enjoy prolonged possession. Diarra Ali grabbed the opener midway through the first half and teenager Adisak secured the points soon after with another well taken finish.

A performance as commanding as this against opposition of the calibre of Satun Utd shows that FC Phuket are a match for any team in this division and must be considered realistic promotion contenders.

FC Phuket vs Satun Utd 13/3/10

Unbeaten FC Phuket are in action at the Surakul Stadium tomorrow (Saturday). The team, who have yet to lose this season, will face a stern test of their promotion credentials at home to unbeaten league leaders Satun Utd.

FC Phuket are currently fourth in Division Two (southern section) of the Thai national league, four points behind Satun Utd. The team has shown signs of improvement under new coach Arjhan Songgamsub and delighted fans with a 3-1 win over Nakhon Si Tammarat in their last home fixture.

The match kicks off at 6pm and tickets are priced at 50 baht each.

FA Cup first round

Phuket v Nakhon Ratchasima. Thai FA Cup first round, Weds 31st March at Surakul Stadium. Info courtesy of: www.clubwebsite.co.uk/koratfc

FC Phuket 1-1 Chumphon

Another away game, another draw.

FC Phuket have now drawn three out of their opening four league games.

On the plus side being unbeaten after four matches shows the side is definitely good enough to compete in this division.

On the negative side FC Phuket urgently need to start turning these wins into draws if they are going to make an impression in the league this year.

The visit of league leaders Satun Utd who have won three out of their opening four fixtures next weekend will provide a stern test of the sides promotion credentials.

FC PHUKET WIN AT HOME!!!!!!

FC Phuket recorded an historic first ever win at the Surakul Stadium on Sunday. The team, who failed to win a single home game last year, defeated Nakhon Si Tammarat 3-1 with two dramatic late goals.

The first home match, against Pattalung, was a disappointing scoreless draw. The second game of the season, away to newly formed Phang Nga, also ended in a draw, and Nakhon Si Tammarat would have fancied their chances of repeating last year’s success when they won 4-3 in Phuket.

However FC Phuket, reinforced by the return from injury of Ivory Coast midfielder Ali Diarra and the arrival of Thailand under 19 international Adisak, are an entirely different proposition this term. The Mighty Sea Kirin, as they now wish to be known, dominated the match from start to finish with some slick passing and movement which was hindered more by the sub standard Surakul surface than the Nakhon Si Tammarat defence.

Ali Diarra provided some much needed steel in the middle of the park and his inclusion meant that playmaker Japan, absent due to sickness, was hardly missed. Diarra was continually able to find time and space and provided the impetus for a commanding first half performance. Adisak’s inclusion at the expense of Anurak, who has long been regarded as the best footballer in Phuket but has seldom impressed in FC Phuket colours, demonstrated that new coach Arjhan Songgamsub is more interested in ability than reputation,

The teenager, who has arrived on loan from Muang Thong Utd, justified his managers faith in him when he twisted acrobatically to head in a cross from an improbable angle in the 30th minute. It was no more than FC Phuket deserved with the passing and movement which they work on continuously in training continually bemusing a statuesque Nakhon Si Tammarat side.

When the fourth official held up his board to indicate there would be one minute of added time in the first half FC Phuket appeared destined to head into the interval with a one goal lead but the referee stunned the home supporters by awarding as penalty to Nakhon Si Tammarat. It was given for an ill advised yet innocuous challenge in the FC Phuket penalty area and the visitors seized the opportunity to grab an unlikely equalizer.

As the second half started it was clear that the surrendering of the lead was not going to deter a raucous home support who were well equipped with flags drums and loudspeakers. FC Phuket were still the far stronger team, as their opponents struggled to keep possession, but were unable to regain any of their first half fluidity and failed to convert their superior possession into clear cut chances.

Another disappointing day at the Surakul Stadium appeared on the cards when an 85th minute cross was flicked on and fell at the feet of Adisak who made no mistake, calmly sidestepping the ball beyond the Nakhon Si Tammarat keeper. With minutes remaining Nakhon Si Tammarat responded by throwing men forward in search of an equalizer but FC Phuket were able to capitalize with a quick fire counter attack which culminated with substitute Nitirol applying the simplest of finishes.

Arjhan Songgamsub was delighted with the performance and in particular by the impact of the new signing, ‘Adisak did very well and I was pleased with him scoring two goals on his debut. Nakhon Si Tammarat beat Chumpon last week but we were much better than them today and I am happy that we were able to win a game in Phuket at last,’ he said.

FC Phuket are away to Chumpon next weekend with the next home fixture, against league leaders Satun Utd, on March 13th.