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