Chonburi 1-0 Chiang Rai Utd - Match Report: 2011

TPL

Chonburi 1-0 Chiang Rai Utd

Chonburi Stadium

Attendance: 6,077

Saturday 23rd April, 2011

MATCH REPORT 

This was a lot more comfortable than the scoreline suggests. True, Chiang Rai United made it difficult for us by getting ten men behind the ball every time we had possession, and we had a couple of nervy little moments late on, but overall I felt we were in total command of the game. Our passing was good, which was some achievement considering the amount of water on the pitch, and everyone performed their jobs well. 

We defended with ease when we had to and it was particularly pleasing to see Phaisan Pona in such commanding form. He was one of our better players during the 2006-2007 period and has become something of a forgotten man since returning to the club from Pattaya United at the start of last season. However, his displays in the last couple of matches have surely done enough to earn him a decent run in the team.

Therdsak Chaiman returned in midfield, which made up for the absence of Ekaphan Inthasen. He wasn't his usual self and the fact that he limped away after the final whistle with strapping on his troublesome ankle is cause for concern. I'd be tempted to leave him out on Tuesday, especially if Ekaphan is fit enough to play. Persipura Jayapura didn't impress me particularly when we played them the other week and it would be foolish to risk him if there's any doubt that he's 100%. We should be able to beat them on our own patch without risking the veteran, who is so important to our season.

Back to yesterday's game. Adul Lahso worked tirelessly and seemed to relish the challenge of breaking down the stubborn resistance offered by the visitors. He ran for the full ninety minutes and pretty much covered every inch of the energy sapping wet surface. It's obvious that he's highly rated by Coach Heng and is keen to repay the trust that has been put in him. He was unfortunate to pick up a yellow card for what looked like a fairly routine tackle but he wasn't discouraged and continued to get stuck in.

Up front we had Ribic and Pipob. The former looked a little off the pace, which surprised me considering his performance last week, and the later was his usual ebullient self. His goal was a joy to behold. He received the ball with his back to goal, controlled it and turned all in one movement and laid it out to the left wing, before continuing his run into the box. When the ball came in, he rose majestically to out jump three or four defenders, who are a good bit taller than he is, to finish with aplomb. Surely it's only a matter of time before he gets the call from Bryan Robson.

At the end of the ninety minutes there seemed to be a slight feeling of disappointment around the stadium. I think a lot of people were expecting a repeat of last week's scoreline. However, these are the kind of results that can win you league titles. The players kept playing their football, against a well organised team, and we ground out a result which took us back to the top of the table. And I'll settle for that.