Bangkok FC 3-1 Krabi

Two late goals kept Bangkok FC's TPL dreams alive as they beat Krabi 3-1. With minutes remaining, the Iron Bulls were being held 1-1 but a debatable penalty and subsequent sending off were to be the talking points of the day.

After last week's 3-0 loss at Rayong FC, Bangkok's promotion fate was out of their own hands and there was a sombre end of season feel to the contest as the match kicked off.

It was an even start to the game although it was Krabi who had the early chances with Anuwit and Somkid coming close.

The hosts first real effort came midway through the half when Tawin's drilled left foot shot across goal forced Anusorn to block with his foot.

The same duo were involved three minutes later when the goalkeeper rather recklessly brought down the Bangkok number 22 leaving the referee with the simple decision of awarding a penalty.

Lee Tuck took his trademark stuttered run up for the spot kick but Anusorn dived the right way to block his shot. However, Meedech was the swiftest to react and he knocked in the rebound to give the hosts the lead.

Inspired substitution

Krabi were struggling to get back into the match and they hooked Tanat for John Mary minutes before the break. The former Buriram striker made an instant impact as his rasping shot from the edge of the box landed in the back of the net.

After the interval, Bangkok were applying most of the pressure while the team from the south were looking dangerous on the break.

Tawin's header from a long throw went just over the bar and an Olof Watson shot hit the side netting as the hosts pressed. At the other end, John Mary couldn't connect properly as his shot 18 yards was saved by Worawut and Anuwit blazed over following a quick break.

The Bulligans thought they'd taken the lead shortly after Sam Danquah's arrival but his teasing cross was knocked tantalisingly back across the goal by Watson with the Krabi keeper stood rooted to the spot.

With time running out, Bangkok FC were awarded a debatable penalty. Whether or not Adisak clipped Jutarong is open to discussion, but the reaction of the Krabi players was rather childish. In the rugby scrum that swarmed the man in the middle afterwards, it appeared a slap was aimed at his head and Onuora was shown a red card. After about 15 minutes of heated argument on the touchline, the red card was given to Thaweephong after he appeared to own up. Lee Tuck could finally take his second spot kick off the afternoon and this time the Englishman made no mistake as he sent Anusorn the wrong way to make it 2-1.

Moments later, Bangkok should have had a third penalty but the referee decided to hedge his bets and awarded a free kick on the edge of the box instead. Tuck then gently rolled the ball to Watson and the Swede rifled home into the bottom corner to secure the 3-1 win.

There was double joy at the final whistle for the Bang Mot side when the news filtered through that Nakhon Ratchasima had beaten PTT Rayong. Next week PTT Rayong host Bangkok FC and a win for the Iron Bulls would send them into the TPL. 

Bangkok FC 2-1 Singh Tarua

A Tawin double gave the advantage to Bangkok FC in the battle for the third promotion place as the Iron Bulls beat Singh Tarua 2-1.

The away side had their noses infront coming into the game and it was they who set up with a cagey 4-5-1 formation. The opening half hour was fairly devoid of any action yet it was the hosts, playing with a more traditional 4-4-2 formation, who were more intent on making the breakthrew.

The opening goal came in the 32nd minute when Tawin neatly cut inside his marker and fired home from inside the box. 

Tarua made a double substitution at half time in a bid to bolster their attacking options. However, it was Bangkok FC who doubled the lead in the 57th minute when Lee Tuck slithered his way along the byline before teeing up Tawin to shoot home at the near post.

Within two minutes, Tarua were back in the game after Ali Diarra headed home a Leandro cross after the Brazilain's initial corner had returned to him.

The closest Tarua came to equalizing was a Sarawut header in the 66th minute which landed on the roof of the net.

Unfortunately for the 2,000 plus Tarua contingent, there was to be no fightback as Bangkok FC whittled down the clock fairly easily with a combination of stubborn defending and timewasting. The visitors ran out of ideas and resorted to hitting aimless high balls up to Leandro and Christen.

The 2-1 victory means that Bangkok FC move two points clear of Singh Tarua with three games to play. They only positive from today for Tarua is that they'd hold the better head-to-head record if both teams finished level on points. Bangkok have Rayong FC (A), Krabi (H) and PTT Rayong to finish. Singh Tarua now need to beat TTM (H), Nakhon Pathom (A) and Air Force (H) and hope that the Bang Mod side drop points in one of their three remaining fixtures.

Disappointingly, or somewhat predictably, the end of the game was marred with crowd trouble as both sets of fans were supposed to be paying respect to each other in the traditional Thai way.

Man of the Match - Tawin Butsombat: Match winning double

Bangkok FC 2-1 Nakhon Pathom United

Lee Tuck scored the winner on the stroke of full time as Bangkok FC earned a hard fought win over a gritty 10 man Nakhon Pathom United.

The lingering dark rainclouds over the Bangkok skyline finally opened in Bang Mod 15 minutes prior kick off, and they continued to drizzle over the  72-years Anniversary Stadium for the entire 90 minutes.

The first keeper called into action was the Worawut of the Iron Bulls who had to make a double save from Paulo Renato after Jakkrapong had 'fresh-aired' an attempted clearance.

The home side gradually began to dominate and Rocha dos Santos almost connected to an inswinging free kick from the luminous green boots of Antonio Pina.

Two minutes later, it was a pair of brightly coloured pink boots that grabbed my attention as Tana's curling free kick was unconvincingly smothered by Nakhon Pathom's keeper, Narong.

Orange was the next colour up moments later with Decha drilling a shot across the guest's goal.

The first goal of the afternoon arrived on the half hour when Pina drilled home from inside the box after his shot was too hot for Narong to handle.

Bangkok FC seemed to be thoroughly in control, but within five minutes the away side had levelled. Andre Houma's turn and cross hit Jakkapong on the arm and a penalty was awarded. It was slightly harsh as it was accidental, but under the "letter of the law," the referee probably called it right.

Paulo Renato's penalty was weakly hit and Worawut parried it away, but in the resultant scramble, the ball was cut back to Cho Kwang Hoon to stroke home the equalizer.

The next major incident came four minutes after the break when Nakhon Pathom were reduced to 10 men. Leslie Ablorh was given his marching orders after he kicked out at Jaturong after the BEC Tero loanee had kicked the ball into the former JW Rangsit man as he was lying on the ground. Again, it was a bit soft as Jaturong made a meal of it, but the referee was correct as he's just following the punishment code he's been given.

After the sending off, the guests dug in and Bangkok FC were struggling to profit from their man advantage.

Midway through the second half, the Bulligans switched Lee Tuck from right midfield to striker, and they started to create chances.

Antonio Pina came close on a couple of occasions while Tuck was becoming an increasing threat in the final third. At the other end, Worawut smartly saved a drive from Kiattisak as Nakhon Pathom made a rare venture over the halfway line.

With two minutes remaining, NP almost snatched a winnner after a slip from Jakkapong on the touchline gifted possession to Houma, but his shot come cross was cleared after he'd embarked on a pacy run.

The winning goal was scored seconds after the fourth official had held up the board indicating five minutes of injury time. Antonio Pina ran from the halfway line and his precise pass sliced through the middle of the Nakhon Pathom defence to enable Lee Tuck to slot home the winner.

The relief around the stadium at the final whistle clearly indicated that it had been a hard fought victory for Bangkok FC. The home side weren't at their best and they'll need to improve if they are to make it to the TPL. Nakhon Pathom weren't particularly pretty to watch yet their stuffy resistance almost earned them a point.

Man of the Match: Antonio Pina - A goal and an assist from the centre of the park

Nakhon Pathon score

Bangkok FC 2-3 PTT Rayong

Adisak Srikampang pounced 12 minutes from time to fire PTT Rayong to victory with the simplest header he'll ever score.

Bangkok FC looked on course for a victory as they took a 2-1 lead into the break, but two second half goals won an enthralling contest for PTT Rayong.

The home side made the perfect start, scoring with the first real chance of the game as Olof Watson headed home a corner. The ball certainly looked to have crossed the line despite a desperate handball by a PTT Rayong defender in the goal mouth.

Both sides had a couple of half chances to score before Meedech was penalised for an infringement on the edge of the box. Kirati was on spot kick duty, and he coolly send Beyeme the wrong way to level matters.

Amadou Outtara could have given Rayong the lead, but he hit the side netting after Jean Marc Beyeme had parried a shot into his path.

As the half time team talks were being prepared by both coaches, a corner from the left was flicked on by Meedech and finished by Tawin to give the Iron Bulls a 2-1 half time lead.

Bangkok could have had a third shortly after half time, but the ball got stuck under Watson's feet as he bore down on goal.

In the 52nd minute, PTT Rayong equalized when former Bangkok FC man Jozef Tirer curled a 25 yard free kick into the bottom corner.

Adisak was introduced well into the second half, and in the 78th minute he pounced to head into a vacant net after Beyeme had horribly misjudged a Tirer free kick.

Watson and Tawin both had efforts that went close while Lee Tuck's dipping drive forced Pinho into a save as the Oil millionaires held out for the three points.

I thought 3-2 was a fair scoreline as PTT Rayong edged it for me. They are now only one point behind Air Force and barring a melt down, they should be in the TPL next season. The only concern for them today was that both goals they conceded came from corners. Bangkok FC will always score goals, but if they continue to make mistakes at the back, then I can't see them earning promotion. 

Singh Tarua 2-0 Bangkok FC

Singh Tarua got back to winning ways as they deservedly beat Bangkok FC 2-0 at the PAT Stadium.

The game was played at a lively tempo and at times it got rather intense with the bulky Meedech making himself the enemy of the Khlong Toei Army.

Apart from a Lee Tuck chance that the Englishman failed to connect to from inside the box, it was Singh Tarua who had the best opportunities in the first half.

A Todsapol header hit the woodwork following a corner while Mathias Christen twice had decent chances to open the scoring. His first was a shot that trickled wide after he'd turned well in the box, and his second was a header across the face of the goal. Leandro almost scored with a free kick in injury time, but Jean Marc Beyeme tipped his strike over the bar.

The initial stages of the second half were rather quiet by comparison, but the breakthrough goal came in the 67th minute.

Pavarit crossed from the left for Leandro to head home.The Brazilan's header hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the line and back out. However, the linesman was on the spot to correctly awarded the goal

On 78 minutes the game was wrapped up when Teerawut scored a rare goal. The Iron Bulls failed to properly clear the danger and Ali Diarra released Teerawut to win the game.

Lee Tuck and Anon forced Watchara into a couple of late saves as Tarua held out comfortably for the win.

The 2-0 victory moves Singh Tarua to within one point of Bangkok FC. The Bulligans will be disappointed that their attacking play wasn't at their finest today. Despite the clean sheet, the home side's back 4 and goalkeeper still look like there is always a mistake waiting to happen. Nonetheless, Singh Tarua showed that with a couple of suitable additions in the forthcoming transfer window, they'll be firmly in the promotion mix come the end of the season.

Man of the Match: Ali Diarra - A vital cog in the Tarua engine room

Kick off

Streamers on the Pitch

Bangkok FC 4-3 Rayong United

Bangkok FC edged a seven goal thriller against Rayong United to move within two points of the Top Three.

A Lee Tuck double in the first 35 minutes appeared to have the home side on easy street. The Englishman's first came when he converted a rebound after Olof Watson had hit the post, and the second was a 40 yard free kick which nestled in the bottom right hand corner of the net.

At this point of the game it appeared it was just a case of how many the Iron Bulls would score. However, five minutes before the break, Naratip, in the Bangkok FC goal, spilled a Valci Junior free kick which was then knocked in by Prainet to give Rayong United some hope.

Five minutes after the break, Valci Junior was allowed far too much space to roll the ball into the net before Wuttiphan made it 3-2 to the Elephant Warriors. Naratip wasn't brave enough to block Wuttipan's run and his weak attempt allowed the Rayong midfielder the opportunity to put the away side into the lead.

Valci Junior could have made it 4-2 but he scooped over the target while Samuel Danquah's header clipped the top of the crossbar bar as the hosts pressed to get back into the game.

With about 10 minutes remaining, that pressure paid off when a long free kick was headed goalwards by Olof Watson into the top corner of the net.

The momentum was firmly with Bangkok and with three minutes left on the clock a low Watson cross was swept home by Samuel Danquah to win the three points for the Bulligans. 

At the end of the game, Rayong United would have been hugely disappointed to have scored three away goals, yet come away with nothing. I'm sure Bangkok FC would be delighted with the way that they fought back to win, but they will be slightly concerned at how easily they conceded the three goals.


Man of the Match: Lee Tuck - Another brace for the hard working front man

Bangkok FC 2-1 Krabi

Lee Tuck and Sarayoot were on target as Bangkok FC signed off the season with a 2-1 win over Krabi.

The match was supposed to have been played with no home fans present after crowd disturbances marred the final whistle last week against Sriracha. In my estimation, at least 1,000 of the official 1,239 attendance would have gone home happy after this contest!

On the rebound

Samuel Danquah should have opened the scoring early on before Sarayoot was tripped in the box by goal stopper, Theerawat. Lee Tuck's stuttering run up from the resultant spot kick didn't fool Theerawat as he blocked the Englishman's shot, but fortunately for the division's top goalscorer. the rebound fell comfortably into his path to be tucked away. The goal was his 23rd of the season and it ensured that Lee Tuck topped the Division 1 goalscoring chart.

Wrong way

On 34 minutes, the referee awarded his second penalty kick of the match when Christiano Lopes was adjudged to have been felled by Mika Chunuonsee in the box. The ex-Sriracha man dusted himself down and made no mistakes as he sent Naratip the wrong way to level.

The Energy should have gone ahead minutes later when Soukaphone jinked his way into the box, but his effort on goal was rifled over from yards out.

The hosts looked the more likely after the break as they targeted the left flank for several raids. Their persistence paid off on 71 minutes when Lee Tuck's cross from the left was headed in by Sarayoot.

Thaweepong and Bolarinwa Ayotomiwa came close to adding to the Bulligans lead, while Chaninthorn whistled a couple of free kicks inches wide for Krabi as the game finished 2-1 to Bangkok FC. At full time, there appeared to have been a red card flashed towards Rachanon as the teams departed the field.

At the end of the season, Bangkok FC finished 10th and five points clear of relegation. Overall they'd have settled for that one month ago, but when you consider the money that has been invested in the club by the owner, they really have underachieved.

Krabi on the other hand should be satisfied with a sixth placed finish although they will be disappointed that they couldn't maintain their promotion push after an excellent first leg of the season.

I'd say both clubs have a decent nucleus in their squads to build on for next term. With sensible investment, I can see the pair challenging for promotion next year.

JW Rangsit 3-2 Bangkok FC

JW Rangsit blitzed Bangkok FC with three late goals as they kept their mathematical hopes of survival alive. On reflection Bangkok FC will rue not wrapping the game up when they held a 1-0 advantage for a long period during the match.

JW Rangsit 0-1 Bangkok FC

It was a sluggish opening as both sides found it difficult to get any flow to their game on the sticky pitch. However, Lee Tuck swept home from Danquah's cross to give the guests the lead shortly before the half hour mark.

The Bulligans shaded the first half and they continued to press for a second goal after the break with Samuel Danquah squandering three reasonable opportunities. He blasted over twice from inside the box, and headed straight into the arms of Piraya after a pinpoint cross from Tuck.

JW Rangsit 1-1 Bangkok FC

The introduction of Andre Santos on 70 minutes was the catalyst that sparked the hosts into life. Within a couple of minutes, the substitute levelled when he guided home a cross from the left with his head.

JW Rangsit 2-1 Bangkok FC

Seconds later, Tameezee made it 2-1 to JW after he played a 1-2 with Leslie Ablorh to curtail any thoughts the Bulligans had of gathering three points.

Bangkok FC tried to find an equalizer but they were undone as Ablorh and Santos passed their way too easily through the Bangkok defence to set up Ratchapark who made the contest safe with a couple of minutes left on the clock.

Second half sub, Jo 5 Yards, had other ideas though pulling one back in injury time for the Iron Bulls but it was too little too late.

The victory lifted JW Rangsit to within six points from safety with five matches to go, yet virtually nobody envisages them staying in the first division. They've taken some notable scalps in one off contests this season with Suphanburi and PTT Rayong amongst the victims. With literally a dozen fans it's clear to see why they can't consistently match other sides in the league with bigger budgets.

Bangkok FC have their heads just above water in sixth bottom which shouldn't be the case given the amount of players they have with TPL experience. It's going to be touch and go whether or not they'll stay up but I think they'll just about do it.

TOT 3-2 Bangkok Glass

TOT came flying out the blocks Usian Bolt style as two early goals sent them on their way to beat Bangkok Glass 3-2.

Late arrivals to the TOT Stadium would have missed the opening two goals as TOT raced into a 2-0 lead within three minutes.

Rodoljub Paunovic broke the deadlock in the first 120 seconds when he was gifted a goal as the Glass defense stood motionless after the ball had spun upwards allowing the Serbian to convert a soft goal.

Within a minute, the lead was doubled as Lee Jun Ki's header from a corner bounced off the underside of the bar over the line to double the Hello Boys advantage.

TOT seemed puzzled what to do with their early 2-0 lead and Ajayi pegged one back for the Rabbits on 25 minutes when he neatly lobbed Weera in the TOT goal.

Any thoughts of BG staging a quick comeback were dashed eight minutes later when Ekkachai's pass released Jiranat to squeeze home from a tight angle.

The match was then held up for several minutes because Weera disappeared down the tunnel to eventually be replaced by second choice TOT keeper, Manthewa. Despite ten minutes of injury time being awarded, TOT went into the interval holding a 3-1 advantage.

In the second 45, the Pathumthani side huffed and puffed without really threatening to come back into the contest until the 90th minute when Saruta twisted in the box to pull one back.

Bangkok Glass had a very strong claim for a penalty in injury time which was waved away by the referee much to the disgust of the BG fans. The match finished 3-2 and there was an ugly exchange of bottles between rival fans at the end.

In my opinion, the Bangkok Glass fans need to look at the frailties of their own side rather than take their frustrations out on the referee and rival fans. They need a good clear out of a dozen or so overpaid players and they have to rebuild if they ever want to challenge for the TPL title. TOT are a hard working side on a limited budget and another couple of wins should see them achieve their realistic target of staying up.

Bangkok FC 0-1 Suphanburi

Pipat Thonkanya's late winner kept Suphanburi in the top 3 as Bangkok FC were beaten 1-0. The former Thai international player's late introduction proved pivotal as he smashed home the winner two minutes from full time.

Defensive stuff

I'll be polite and say that the first half was a cagey affair as both sides were reminiscent of the pre-Wenger Arsenal approach of playing defensive football (younger readers ask your dad).

The first real effort on goal came after the hour mark as Peeratat missed a glorious chance at the back stick with a free header from a corner.

Super sub

I've never been a great fan of zonal marking at corners and this was to be the Bulligans undoing. With two minutes left, a long corner found an unmarked Pipat beyond the same back post, and he volleyed home while umpteen home defenders were marking space inside the six yard box.

Zico takes the Balotelli bid challenge

Suphanburi's game plan was played out to perfection today as they probably just shaded the contest. They are fairly dull to watch compared to Ratchaburi or Sriracha, but they have a steely determination about them that will probably see them in the TPL next season. As for Zico, I'm a great admirer of what he has achieved and the way he conducts himself, but I'll be honest and say that his BBCU side weren't pretty to watch last season. With the attacking options that he had available to him today, I feel his new side should have been more forceful in attack. With Sarayoot set to make his debut, that should hopefully change.

Bangkok FC 1-2 Nakhon Ratchasima

The Swatcats pounced on two goalkeeping errors to beat Bangkok FC 2-1. The victory lifted Korat back into the top half of the league while their hosts slipped into the bottom half.

The pre-match huddle

It was a slightly cagey start with both goalkeepers being virtual spectators in the first quarter of the game. The first shotstopper called into action was Bangkok's Mana Nopnech on 25 minutes as he tipped a free-kick from Pralong over the bar. A few minutes later, Mana's opposite number got his first action of the afternoon blocking a low drive from Solomon Okuta and then being alert enough to block the rebound from Preecha.

After the break, Nakhon Ratchasima were the hungrier side. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Sanong blazed over the bar from 6 yards while Anon hit woodwork following a header after corners from the right.

First goal - oops!!

The Bulligans were getting plenty of joy down the left flank, but the Bang Mot side were dealt a blow at the other end when Sanong opened the scoring shortly before the hour mark. A free kick from Pralong on the right edge of the box was fumbled by Mana and the number 21 tapped-in to break the deadlock.

Swatcats celebrate 2nd goal

Prasit, in the Korat goal, had to be alert to save from a header, but on 65 minutes the away side doubled their advantage when Mana weakly palmed a cross straight to Anon for the Muangthong United loanee to make it 2-0.

The clock seemed to be whittling down fairly easily for the guests with a combination of solid defending and calls for treatment.

As the fourth official was preparing himself to hold up the board for the additional minutes, Bangkok FC pulled one back after a rebound from the bar pinged around in the six yard box before Mika Chunuonsee netted his first for the club from close in. 

There was to be no Manchester City last ditch drama at the end as Korat held out for the 2-1 win.

I feel a bit harsh blaming Mana for Bangkok's defeat today as he's been solid since his arrival from Chainat. Let's just hope it was a blip for the captain!

For Korat, they've been embroiled in a bit of a soap opera in the last couple of weeks regarding the coaching position of the club. I don't want to dwell on that but from what I saw today, the club certainly have enough to finish in the top half although promotion might be out of their reach this season.

Bangkok FC 1-1 Songkla

Samuel Danquah rescued a point for Bangkok FC against Songkla as the Bulligans doubled their points tally for the season.

Kaneung Buransook gave the visitors the lead on 16 minutes when he tapped in after Malek's low shot off the post had rebounded to him. It had been a sluggish start to the game and Songkla's goal was the first piece of noteworthy action.

In the second half Solomom Okutu and Santisap Sari were whiskers away with headers as the Iron Bulls pressed for an equalizer.

The Bang Mot side's persistence was rewarded on 76 minutes when Danquah netted after a scramble in the box from a Lee Tuck corner.

A point each was a fair reflection on the 90 minutes and the Bulligans will be happy to have moved off the foot of the table.

Bangkok FC have potential to play better than this and I feel that they just need something to kick start their season. Once that happens they should be able to move up the league table. Songkla were well organized and robust defensively but they look like the don't have that creative spark to maintain a genuine promotion push.

Bangkok FC 4-1 BBCU

Bangkok FC moved a step further away from the relegation zone with a comfortable 4-1 win over BBCU.

It was nonetheless BBCU who came quickly out of the traps as they forced three early chances in the first five minutes. Bayongon Osse, in the Bangkok goal, had to get down sprightly to tip a header from Anucha Chuaysri around the post.

However it was Samual Danquah who put the Bulligans ahead when he nipped in front of a BBCU defender to hit the opener, and a Josef Tirer shot that beat Beyeme in the BBCU goal saw the Bulligans 2-0 up after 17 minutes.

Ononiwu Julius beat the offside trap five minutes before the break to half the deficit, but Josef Tirer restored the two goal lead a minute later with a crisp strike to give the home side a 3-1 advantage at half time.

The second half never reached the excitement of the first half as Bangkok sat back and waited to pounce on the counter attack.

BBCU's misery was complete in injury time when substitute Lee Tuck scored Bangkok's fourth from inside the penalty box.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for BBCU as Songkla lost at home to Bangkok United 2-0. That result leaves the Pink Power needing only one point to confirm promotion to the TPL. For the Iron Bulls, their first division status for 2012 hasn't been secured yet, but one more win should see them over the safety line.

Anyway, if you ever wondered why 99% of Thai football games kick off late, below is a 4 step guide demonstrated by Bangkok FC to help you:

The National Anthem

Team photo for facebook

Squad huddle

and finally, the starting 11 huddle

Bangkok FC 3-4 Suphanburi

The Bulligan faithful watched their side concede an injury time goal as Suphanburi claimed a 4-3 victory in an enthralling match in Bang Mot.

Suphanburi could have scored in the first minute, but Englishman, Jorrin John, pulled his shot just wide of the goal. That chance was to set the tone in what proved to be an end-to-end match.

It was however the other Englishman wearing number 9, who opened the scoring. A low free-kick from the right by Josef Tirer was knocked into the net by Lee Tuck.

After the goal, Bangkok had more possession although both teams had chances to score. A few minutes before half time, Suphanburi leveled when a free kick from the right was powered in by central defender, Roland Djam, as he lost his marker too easily.

The Suphanburi Warriors came out fighting in the second half and looked the more likely team. Their pressure was rewarded when another cross from the right was headed in by big striker, Bolarimwa Ayotomiwa on 57 minutes.

The game lulled for a while after this as Suphanburi players seemed to fall down at will injured. Surprisingly, the angriest man in the stadium was Suphanburi coach, Rene Desaeyere. He was shouting at the stretcher boys every time they went onto the pitch to treat one of his players. I guess the Belgian didn't want his side reduced to 10 men while his player received treatment at the side of the pitch.

The game came back into life when Bangkok were awarded a penalty on 75 minutes as Suphanbauri keeper, Bernard Kouassi, felled Lee Tuck. Ekkasit tucked the resultant spot kick in the bottom left corner despite the keeper getting close to it.

Three minutes later, the Bulligans were celebrating when Samuel Danquah lobbed Bernard Kouassi. There were strong suspicions of offside though as Danquah collected the through ball.

A minute later, Suphanburi were level as the two Bangkok central defenders and the goalkeeper were indecisive and Ayotomiwa nipped into level.

The drama wasn't over as yet another crossed ball from the right in injury time was nodded in by Brazilian, Mario Neto to give the Warriors a late winner.

The loss was harsh on Bangkok as they probably deserved at least a point for their endeavor. They will look back on the game and will rue the sloppy defending that cost them some goals. 

Bangkok FC 3-0 Air Force United

Bangkok United ended their 6 game losing streak with a well earned 3-0 triumph over Air Force United. The victory lifts Bangkok FC out of the relegation zone, although the respite may be only temporary as a victory for JW Rangsit tomorrow would drop the Iron Bulls back into the bottom 4.

The Bulligans (that's what it says on the fans' shirts) started with Lee Tuck upfront. The Englishman looked hungry and he forced a couple of early efforts on goal.

On the half hour, the home side had their best attempt of the half. A cross from the right from Samuel Danquah landed at the feet of Ekkapoj in the box. His shot from inside the penalty area was gamely blocked by Air Force keeper, Devala Gorrick.

The same attacking combination weren't going to be denied as they created the first goal of the game shortly after the break. Gorrick produced a great reflex save from Danquah's shot, but unfortunately for the big American, the first half sub, Ekkapoj, got to the block swiftly and tapped it into the empty net.

Nice haircuts

The closest Air Force came to equalising was a shot after a good run from Michael Dixon that flew inches over.

On 78 minutes the game was effectively over when Bangkok doubled their lead from a low powerful shot by Sattha.

Devala Gorrick had no chance with the second goal, and the same could be said for the third as the impressive Danquah's shot from inside the box put the icing on the cake with a minute left on the clock.

Air Force might feel that the 3-0 was slightly harsh on them. At half-time, it was difficult to predict a winner. The disappointing aspect of this match for Air Force would be the failure to lift their game once they went behind. The seemed to submissively accept defeat.

The Bang Mot side on the other hand will be very encouraged with this performance and result. Next week, they have a difficult match at home to Chainat.

Final Score

Iron Bulls Spared 7 Minute Match

thaivisa.com

Bangkok FC of Division 1, were awarded a 5-2 win and 3 points after their proposed 7 minute match with FC Phuket was scrapped last night.

The original match in April was abandoned after 83 minutes because a torrential downpour made the pitch unplayable. Bangkok FC were leading 5-2 at this point.

Instead of letting the result stand and awarding the homeside 3 points, the chiefs of Division 1 decided to replay the match from the 83rd minute onwards. This meant that FC Phuket would have to travel all the way up from Phuket to play the last 7 minutes of a game, which was more or less dead and buried for them.

However, it was announced last night that Phuket wouldn't contest the last 7 minutes. If FC Phuket couldn't be arsed with it, then why did they leave it until the last minute to cancel it!!

The win gives the Iron Bulls a bit of breathing space as they move 4 points above the drop zone. 

The Season So Far

Thai Premier League

The 2011 Thai Premier League Championship has already become a two-horse race between PEA Buriram and Chonburi. Most Thai football experts are tipping PEA to be the eventual champions, but for the sake of entertainment, I hope that Chonburi can hold on to the PEA coattails and keep the title race interesting.

The reigning two times champions Muangthong Utd, have been inconsistent and currently sit in 6^th place. Looking at the positives so far, they’ve kept 8 clean sheets out of 11 and are unbeaten at home. On the flip side of the coin, they’ve only won once away from the Thunderdome and have only scored 13 goals in 11 games. That’s definitely not the form of champions!! Thong’s best chance of a trophy could be the AFC cup. Last season they reached the semi-final of the competition and will be hoping that the experience learned from last year can help them lift the cup this time around.

Bangkok Glass and Thai Port have both had disappointing campaigns so far. Bangkok Glass are mid-table while Thai Port are hovering just above the relegation zone. BG have been very inconsistent and many of the BG faithful aren’t happy with the lackluster performances they’ve had to endure this season. Thai Port’s troubles have been of their own making. The boardroom battle between Super Rich and Port Authority has deeply affected morale in the camp. Also the failure to replace star striker Jo has seen the goals dry up with only 9 from 11 games.

Other local teams BEC Tero, Police United and Army United are all currently in the top 5. That’s a vast improvement from last season and a top 5 placing would be a decent finish for any of these teams. On current form TOT would be in the top 5 with them, but after losing their first 5 games, I’m sure they’ll currently be happy with the 13th position they occupy just now.

1^st Division

Similar to the TPL, the 1^st division has developed into a two-horse race between Buriram FC and BBCU. They are both unbeaten and sit on 30 points, and are 11 points clear of 4^th placed Songkla. As 3 teams will be promoted, both are looking odds on to be playing with the big boys next season. The remaining place could go to any one of about 8 teams. Bangkok United will be hoping to be that team and make a swift return to the TPL.

Air Force United are 5 points off promotion and 5 points off relegation. They have the league’s top goalscorer, Anusak, so the Airmen will need him to keep banging in the goals if they want to join the promotion chasing pack.

RBAC, Thai Honda, Bangkok FC and JW Rangsit are all firmly set in the relegation battle. With 4 teams being relegated, we could see at least 2 or 3 of them dropping down to Division 2. RBAC are almost certain to go down with Thai Honda looking likely to join them. Bangkok and JW Rangsit will both be happy to remain in Division 1 after being promoted from the Bangkok Regional league last year.

2^nd Division (Bangkok)

After 10 games, North Bangkok Uni and Prachinburi occupy the top 2 spots. Amazingly, both have only played one home game each and 9 away games due to home ground reconstruction. With an abundance of home games to come, both must be feeling confident of reaching the Division 2 Champions League playoff. Rajvithi and Kasetsart appear to be the other contenders although Samutprakarn United, Bangkok Christian and Nontaburi could come into contention if they can hit a run of form.