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.