Bangkok Glass 1-0 Chonburi
League Cup
2nd Round 1st Leg
Leo Stadium
Attendance: 3,629
Wednesday 22nd September, 2010
Bangkok Glass take a slender lead into the second leg. The main talking point from tonight's game is the penalty we should have had, when Sylla Moussa clattered Suree Sukha, just before the home side scored. Had it been given, the defender would also have been yellow carded and therefore sent off, as he had already been booked. We'll see just how big a decision this was after the return match.
Match Report
There were a lot of similarities between this game and last Sunday's league encounter. Bangkok Glass probably shaded it in terms of possession but in reality, it was two evenly matched sides cancelling each other out and providing some decent entertainment along the way.
The home team started off brightly, and for the first ten minutes Chonburi hardly got a kick. However, after this initial period of uncertainty, things evened out and we all sat back to watch the cut and thrust of a late evening midweek cup tie. The visitors probably had the better chances in the first period and Puritat forced Kritsakorn Kerdpol into making a couple of saves. But for all the huffing and puffing, neither side could break the deadlock.
The breakthrough finally came midway through the second half following a neat piece of trickery from Michel Byrne. The former Shark turned his defender and crossed the ball into the middle. It was helped on by a team mate to spare man Anuwin Jujeen, who turned and hit a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner. It was a bitter blow for the visitors who had had a cast iron, nailed on penalty appeal turned down only minutes before, when Sylla Moussa clattered Suree Sukha with the ball nowhere in sight. Excuse me if I sound bitter but the ref completely bottled it, especially as he'd given us a free kick, and booked the offender, for an identical challenge on Natthapong Samana in the first half. It was a shocking call by the official.
Fortunately, the players stuck to their task and could have equalised on a couple of occasions but for some wayward finishing and top class saves by the home keeper. At the other end Michael Byrne had a shot tipped over by Suchin and also went close with two other long range efforts. Overall, I was disappointed to lose - I thought a draw would have been a fair result - but this tie is far from over. Bangkok Glass have a tough crowded schedule over the next month or so and will need to be at their best for the return leg, when we are sure to give them a torrid time.
Chonburi 0-2 Bangkok Glass (Agg: 0-3)
League Cup
2nd Round 2nd Leg
Chonburi Sports College Stadium
Attendance: 3,281
Wednesday 20th October, 2010
A very tired looking Chonburi side went out of the Toyota League Cup earlier this evening.
Match Report
I think the less said about this match, the better. In all the years I've been following the club, I can't remember such a disjointed Chonburi performance. The players looked tired and listless and this feeling soon spread to the fans, who were as quiet as they've ever been. There were one or two pockets of support amongst the 3,281 crowd who were doing their best to rouse the team but, by and large, the place was like a library.
It would be easy to blame the players but the number of games played in recent weeks seems to have caught up with them. I think the news that PEA had beaten Sisaket, to leapfrog over us into second place, just before kick off also added to the mood of despondency. There was certainly a strange atmosphere around the place. And things were to get worse.
Within a couple of minutes of the start, the visitors took the lead. The speedy Ajayi left the unfamiliar centre back pairing of Kenneth Akpueze and Phaisan Pona in his wake before slotting the ball into the far corner. He then kept on running to join the hundred or so celebrating Bangkok Glass fans in the North Stand.
On his return to the pitch, he spent the next ten minutes tormenting the home defence. I feared the worst, as did most of those around me. Thankfully, he wasted a couple of other good chances and Chonburi worked themselves back into the game. Arthit went close with two free kicks, one hit the post and one was well saved by the keeper, but otherwise we never really looked like scoring.
Bangkok Glass packed their defence and hit us on the break and we didn't haven't have the nous to deal with it. It came as no surprise when Sutee doubled the lead midway through the second half and put the tie beyond any doubt - should there have been any uber optimistic Chonburi fans still clinging to the hope of an unlikely comeback.
Hopefully, the bulk of the first teamers will get a rest before the FA Cup semi final a week on Saturday. We are destined to finish third in the TPL and are out of the League Cup so all our efforts must go into ensuring that there is no repeat of the recent slip up against the Army in ten days time.
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