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.