Thai League 2
2022-2023
Saturday 19 November 2022
Rajpracha FC 1 Chiang Mai FC 0
Chiang Mai FC:
Fahas
Suwannapat
Filipovic
Suwit
Stewart
Ronnayod
Srithai
Pongrawit
Im ChangKyoon
Kim BoYong
Gustavsson
It may be harsh to blame this defeat on one person or a single moment. But since I am still angry about both the defeat and the rather mai-pen-rai reaction someone has to be yelled at.
Phommin had come on for Srithai with five minutes of normal time to play.
His first challenge (in reality a body check) should have earned him a booking; his second was little better and his third three minutes into added time earned him a booking and gave the home side a free kick mid-left of the Chiang Mai half.
Kittisak’s inswinging free kick would have been dealt with by Filipovic as he had all night; instead Phommin decided he should be first to the ball and his flicked header redirected the ball inside Fahas’ far post; the goalkeeper had no chance. It was the sort of finish that our strikers must dream of; but at the wrong end.
It was the end of a miserable 10 minute cameo for the CMFC midfielder – and it is genuinely hard to tell what, or if, he was thinking. Just horrible.
Otherwise it had been a decent 0-0 draw with both sides creating opportunities but both looking desperately short of confidence and awareness in front of goal.
It was thirty minutes before the first half saw any meaningful action. By then Chiang Mai had already lost Pongrawit to an injury in a tackle and Im ChangKyoon to a hamstring problem.
A strong Suwit run down the left side ended as so many do with a hasty, albeit powerful, angled shot straight at Phatcharaphong in goal.
Ronnayod’s deep free kick was met by Filipovic at the far post; his header back into the six yard box beat Supawit and ran perfectly for Kim BoYong whose stabbed the ball from close range into the foot of the Rajpracha keeper. The ball rebounded back to Kim and bounced off the Chiang Mai forward wide of the post.
A minute later Samroeng looped over a deep cross from the right; Stewart found himself on the wrong side of Teerwut and bundled him over. It was clear penalty.
Fahas, however has had a lot of penalty practice this week. “Sam” Ronnachai took the kick – left footed – dive left. Fahas made another fine stop pushing the low shot onto the post.
Half time. 0-0. Chiang Mai emerged with an encouraging urgency with Kim BoYong and Patrik Gustavssom taking turns to give eachother gilt-edged chances that neither could convert.
A long clearance was headed by Gustavsson finding Kim in space running into the penalty area. With time to pick either side of the goalkeeper his shot cleared the crossbar.
Phatcharapong then kept out a well struck Gustavsson shot.
Another one touch ball from Gustavsson for Kim was touched out for a corner by Diawara’s outrageously long leg.
Two corners were defended with difficulty by Rajpracha; but after weathering this initial storm the home side would come back into the game. An Atthawit drive from 22 yards was athletically tuned over by Fahas.
Konare, the third of Rajpracha’s three Mali players, drew a fine save from Fahas sprawling low to his left.
At the other end Suwit’s fine cross evaded both Phatcharaphong and Diawara – but Gustavsson at the far post was unable to do better than turn the ball into the side netting.
This felt like time to push Filipovic up front and to create some havoc in the Rajpracha penalty area. Perhaps both coaches were already settling for a point.
Into injury time and a fine direct run on goal by Gustavsson deserved better than a rather tame shot at the goalkeeper. Chiang Mai’s last chance before Phommin’s late moment of madness.
Four defeats in our last five league games is relegation form largely due to our inability to convert goal attempts into goals. Suchanon and Tawan were both out of the squad though injury. Kim and Gustavsson have a solitary league goal between them this season. There will need to be changes in the season break.