AFC Cup
Group H
Chonburi 4-0 East Bengal
Chonburi Stadium
Tuesday 3rd May, 2011
Match Report
by the-afc.com
Chonburi secured qualification for the last 16 of the AFC Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory over East Bengal in their penultimate Group H match. Ney Fabiano and Therdsak Chaiman set the hosts on their way and then striker Pipob On-mo bagged two goals for the second consecutive match in the competition to seal a comprehensive win. The result moved the Thai side top of the pool on 10 points, ahead of Persipura on goal difference and five points clear of third-placed South China.
Both sides struggled to find a footing in the first-half and the hosts suffered an early blow when injury forced Suree Sukha off in the 12th minute to be replaced by Darko Rakocevic. The visitors had a sight of goal in the 16th minute when Tolgay Ozbey earned a free-kick just outside the box, but it came to nothing. At the other end four minutes later, a ricochet in the East Bengal box allowed Chonlatit Jantakam to strike an effort that Fabiano back-heeled against the far post before it was eventually cleared.
Fabiano was causing East Bengal problems in the air, but the home team struggled to apply the final touch. Suttinun Phukhom lashed in a shot which goalkeeper Sandip Nandy saved comfortably at the far post in the 27th minute. Eight minutes Fabiano set up Therdsak, but he shot straight at the keeper from 18 yards. Chonburi keeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool too had to be alert to keep out a fierce effort from Robin Singh eight minutes before the break, with Arthit Sunthornphit blasting a 30-yard free-kick over the bar three minutes later.
East Bengal’s best chance arrived in the 42nd minute when Penn Orji wrong-footed his marker down the right and rifled in a shot from eight yards but it flew over the bar. The deadlock was finally broken in first-half stoppage time by Chonburi. An Arthit free-kick was met at the far post by a twisting Fabiano, who managed to flick the ball back off the side of his head into the near post past a static Sandip. The goal changed the momentum of the game, and Chonburi did not take long to rub salt into East Bengal’s wounds by extending their lead.
Therdsak cannoned a free-kick against the underside of the bar in the opening minute of the second-half and, although Pipob was unable to reach the rebound, the hosts were two goals up within 60 seconds. Fabiano headed back a cross to Arthit, who mis-hit his volley but the wayward shot fell perfectly for the onrushing Therdsak to pass the ball into the net. East Bengal were shell-shocked and rarely looked like getting back into the match, with the greater threat coming at the other end. A long clearance freed Pipob, who got between two defenders and blasted home the third goal and then, when the visiting defence failed to deal with a long goal-kick, Fabiano headed on for Pipob to poke past Sandip as he rushed off his line.
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