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 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 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.

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.