Opening Day: 2011

TPL

Chonburi 2-0 Thai Port

Chonburi Stadium

Saturday 19th February, 2011

Attendance 6,564

Gate Receipts B702,420 

Merchandise B432,550

Programme

Photos

Match Report

by Marco

Chonburi beating Thai Port 2-0 has to be the most predictable scoreline of the weekend. The result means that Port registered an opening day defeat for the fourth consecutive year. In fact, the last time we managed to score a goal in an opening day fixture was in 2007! It gets worse...We have now gone ten games against Chonburi without a win.

With the horrific statistics out of the way, I should point out that Thai Port really were the architects of their own downfall at the weekend. Suicidal goalkeeping at one end and poor finishing at the other cost us dearly. Credit to Chonburi though, who barely needed to get out of second-gear to grab all three points.

The game started badly enough for the visitors when Alef Poh-Ji picked up a yellow card inside the first minute for almost decapitating Anucha Kitspongsri. To be honest, he was very lucky to stay on the field.

From the resulting free-kick, our bad start turned into a catastrophic one as Chonburi took the lead with a truly wretched goal. Therdsak floated a harmless cross into the six-yard box that was nowhere near anyone in a blue shirt. However, Port goalkeeper Munze Ulrich made a complete hash of dealing with the loose ball not once, but twice before directing it straight into the path of Pipob On-Mo. The diminutive striker added a suitably shambolic coup-de-grâce by scuffing the ball into the net via both of his shins.

Port gained some momentum during the next twenty minutes and went close to levelling three times. Jirawat Makarom fired a curling free-kick just over the bar before Ekkachai Sumrei wasted two golden chances in quick succession, showing a real lack of composure and conviction in front of goal.

The remainder of the first-period was pretty scrappy stuff really. Chonburi's Ekkapan Inthasen briefly managed to create enough space to shoot from distance, but blazed his effort well over the bar.

The opening 25 minutes of the second-period produced more of the same. Both goalkeepers were only called into action once each, with the lively Ekkapoom Potharungroj forcing Sinthaweechai into a smart save, and Chonburi substitute Rakocevic testing Munze with a powerfully struck free-kick.

Just when it seemed that Munze had regained his confidence with that save, he produced another contender for the next Danny Baker 'Own Goals and Gaffs' DVD. Therdsak floated a cross onto the head of Suttinan Phukhom, who looped the ball towards goal. Munze had the simple task of flicking it out for a corner, but he failed miserably. The ball struck the crossbar and fell invitingly to Chonburi new boy Kazuta Kashida. The Japanese player took no mercy on us and hammered the ball into the empty net to seal the win for his team.

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