Kasetsart 3-0 Customs Utd

Kasetsart moved back into the playoff places with a comfortable 3-0 win over Customs Utd.

The opening goal

The first 30 minutes were rather dour. The game livened up when Arlindo lost his marker to head home a corner delivered by Suphan.

The home side improved with Jakkaphan hitting the post and Tanasrich should have done better as the Emerald Nagas took a 1-0 lead into the break.

Both sides were reduced to ten men shortly after the rain soaked interval with Somneuk and Teeradech dismissed after the referee took a belated interest in an off the ball scuffle between the pair.

Shortly before the hour, Chawin outpaced his marker to set up Dion Marc who kept his cool to double the advantage.

Customs pushed men forward to salvage the game, but they were then susceptible to the pacy counters led by Chawin and Dion Marc.

Chawin should have made it 3-0 but he hit the post after Mbella's pacy run.

The third goal came five minutes from time when Dion Marc sprang the offside trap in the centre circle and he rounded the keeper to finish off his unattended run.

The African began showboating and was smashed in the face by Jo's elbow for his troubles. The referee was right next to the incident and astonishingly gave both players a yellow card.

Customs United 2-1 Laem Chabang City

Laem Chabang City

Laem Chabang City's inaugural game in the regional league ended in defeat as they lost 2-1 to Customs United. Their cause wasn't helped when they had a player ordered off on the stroke of half time.

The home side started on the front foot forcing a couple of early chances but it wasn't until the 42nd minute that the deadlock was broken. Chavarit's surging run released Yu who was upended in the box. The Japanese striker got up to convert the spot kick despite the keeper in the Laem Chabang goal getting a hand to it.

1-0 - Keeper almost saves

Just before the interval, Tawatchai was sent off for the visitors after a robust challenge on the touchline earned him his second yellow card.

Within a minute of the restart, Sukchai doubled the lead for Customs when his shot beat the keeper into the bottom left hand corner.

The new boys should have been dead and buried but they fought well with 10 men. Marit fired in a free kick on 72 minutes to give City some hope. It was United however who held on for a win that they probably just deserved.

Both sides looked decent defensively although I didn't see anything to suggest that either will be challenging for the end of season playoffs. Mid-table seems the most likely position for the duo.

Laem Chabang fielded only Thai players but they were quite big physically. Wasan at the back was the pick of the bunch for me as he controlled their back line. As far as their support went, there were about 100 of them who had made the journey up from Laem Chabang. They were fairly quiet by Thai standards, despite having two drums, yet they did look like they'd made the journey by choice rather than been forced to by employers/institutes which is often the case.

K. Duah

Man of the Match: Duah (Customs Utd) The youngster was composed at the back

Customs United 3-2 BBCU

Second division Customs United dumped TPL's BBCU out of the Toyota League Cup with a 3-2 win at the Forza Stadium.

Last season both sides were playing in Division one and at the end of the campaign they went in polar directions with one advancing to the TPL and the other dropping to the regional league. After 30 minutes of this contest, any spectator newly introduced to watching Thai football would have assumed that Customs United were the TPL side after they raced into a three goal lead against the Big Bang.

The opening goal was scored on 9 minutes when Pantree was alert to knock in a rebound after Pornchai had got down well to tip a low shot onto the post.

Midway through the half, Yoon broke down the left wing, cut inside and drilled a shot into the bottom corner to double the underdogs' advantage.

Minutes later Sutin raced from inside his own half far too easily and despite having options, he went alone to make it 3-0 to Customs.

On the half hour mark, BBCU were given a lifeline when the referee spotted a handball in the box from a Customs defender. The former derided Chonburi defender, Kenneth Akpueze, stepped up to take the kick but his low weak shot to the left was saved by Customs keeper, Nikom.

BBCU had started with a strong side, but they did leave their best player, Moussa Sylla, on the bench. He was introduced on 43 minutes and with his first involvement in the game, he pegged one back for the Pink Panthers with a side footed effort.

I'm sure the Customs coach would have told his troops at half-time to keep it tight at the back. However, within a minute of the restart he must have been tearing his hair out as the big Korean, Jae Sueng, headed a cross into his own net.

At this stage BBCU had the wind at their backs and it looked like they were going to storm back and win this cup tie.

A deep cross from Anurak hit the bar, Sylla should have been awarded a penalty after he was tripped in the box and Chainarong went close on a couple of occasions as BBCU tried to claw back the tie. It wasn't all one way traffic though as Customs still threatened on the counter attack.

At the final whistle there was barely a shrug of the shoulders from the TPL side as it was Bye Bye Chula United.

Customs were good value for their win against a relatively strong BBCU selection. As for the Big Bang, they can be proud of their fans as they chanted in unison throughout the game even when they were 3-0 down. It must have hurt them that they lost to a home support that couldn't muster a drum between them! Nonetheless, when the "Cheer Ball Thai" awards are dished out at the end of the season, I'm sure the Chula faithful will be right up there for an honorary mention. For me though, having grown up in the UK during the terrace culture prior to the invention of football by Sky Sports in 1992, I find their support rather robotic and irksome. That's just my opinion and I'm sure I'm in the minority here.

Samut Prakarn Customs United 1-0 RBAC

Forza Stadium

Substitute Emmanual Ndjock scored an injury time winner to secure a narrow win over RBAC at the Forza Stadium and lift Customs out of the relegation zone.

Emmanual Ndjock had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes when he latched onto a goal kick to slot the winner two minutes into injury time.

RBAC half time team talk

After an even first half, it was Customs who had the better chances after the break with Jirawat Sarunwan and Artorn Saingam coming close on a couple of occasions for the Lat Krabang side.

Leonel Saint Prux

RBAC's best chances came in the first half with a Leonel Saint Prux shot that was tipped over the bar and a Suchart Chaiyai free kick that struck the woodwork.

Good catch!!

The 1-0 win was probably a fair result as Customs were rewarded for their second half pressure. RBAC now have to win their last three games and hope that other results work in their favour if they have any chance of avoiding the drop to Division 2 next season.

Incidentally, when I hear the words "the Forza Stadium," it conjures images of Italia 90 and the San Siro or the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa - not a paintball field with four small Subbuteo stands next to a temple adjacent to "Swampy" airport.

Attendance: 480