Dateline 2^nd October 2019

 NRFC 2 Buriram United 3

Attendance; 22463

A vital match for both sides began in front of a raucous, partisan crowd at the 80^th Anniversary Stadium.

The Swatcats began confidently and their early endeavours were rewarded when Naruphol sent in a fine drive that the visitor’s keeper superbly tipped over the bar. With the hosts now bossing possession, Henri broke forward into the box, his cross was deflected to Hartmann whose shot from 8 yards was blocked - the Swatcats should be two goals up!!

With Buriram scarcely troubling the home defence, out of the blue, in the 20^th minute, Jonsson volleyed in from 22 yards to give Buriram the lead - a real screamer!! Minutes later, disaster for the Swatcats when keeper Cunningham was only able to parry a deflected free kick and Ratthanakorn, following up, tapped the loose ball into the net.

Undaunted, the hosts pressed forward with Henri firing into the side netting and then in the 31^st minute they deservedly pulled one back when Yaya Kunath latched onto an Henri back heel and, after great perseverance, scrambled the ball into the net.

The second half began and within minutes, Assumpcao struck a free kick inches wide with the keeper flailing but with Buriram now defending deep and with numbers trying to defend their lead, further Swatcat goals seemed unlikely.

After a period of relative stalemate, the game burst into life when Hartmann was set free just inside the Buriram half. His fine solo run was ended when his low drive was well saved by the keeper.

Buriram seemingly put the game to bed when they added a third goal when Supachok struck in the 79^th minute, Ingresso then thumped a free kick narrowly wide as Swatcat hopes faded. The Swatcats then rallied and they cut the deficit with a superb overhead kick from Kitsada in the 93^rd minute.

A fine battling performance from the Swatcats tonight. They were not intimidated by Buriram and gave it a real go. In front of a huge crowd, they matched the Buriram side for large portions of the game with the final result down to clinical finishing from the visitors.

Surely, based on tonight’s performance they will not be relegated. They now need to replicate this form in the remaining two games against Chainat and Sukhothai - I do however have my doubts that they have it in them. Chainat and Sukhothai are battlers and I guess it will be all about who wants it more. 

Match Day 28 Stats 

 

Dateline 27^th September 2019

 Port FC 3 NRFC 0

Attendance; 3140

This re-arranged game is of vital importance to both teams with Port chasing the title and the visitors striving to avoid relegation.

The Swatcats started without Assumpcao and rather bizarrely, the match recommenced from the third minute, with a corner from Port!!

A snap shot from Josimar almost caught out keeper Cunningham in the 5^th minute as Port opened brightly but following some decent pressing play in midfield, Chitchanok forced the home keeper into a superb save with an accurate header from 12 yards.

Port went ahead in the 22^nd minute with a fine header from Josimar that looped over keeper Cunningham into the net. He doubled the lead in the 28^th minute with a low drive following a superb solo run from his own half.

With the Swatcat defence now under constant pressure Cunningham was again forced into a terrific save on 32 minutes but completely against the run of play, a defensive error put Henri in the clear but he slipped and failed to make contact.

With the visitors throwing men forward in a rather cavalier fashion, one thought that more goals would be forthcoming from Port but a brief period of pressure from the visitors culminated in an Henri header that drifted just wide.

In the 44^th minute Josimar broke clear again but his weak shot was smothered by Cunningham and as the half concluded, the Swatcats seemingly had a mountain to climb to gain something from the game.

 The second half commenced with Henri thumping a header against the bar but he was penalized for a push, Port countered immediately and Cunningham managed to somehow punch out a long-range shot. 

Chitchanok had a long-range effort tipped past the post by the home keeper but Port were looking in charge as the match passed the hour mark. In the 73^rd minute, Henri was hauled to the ground inside the box and a penalty was awarded. A weak spot kick from Henri himself was comfortably saved by the home keeper.

Kitsada was sent off in the 80^th minute for a second yellow and a minute later Port added a third goal when Suarez smashed in from 12 yards.

Henri struck the post in the 91^st minute and Amadou was inches wide seconds later in a last gasp effort to get the visitors on the scoreboard but as the game drew to a close, the visitors were well beaten by a superior side

The Swatcats were certainly up for the fight tonight, they fought well but were outclassed by an in-form Port. The defence looked fragile and was vulnerable to Port’s rapid counter attacks and while a couple of chances were created there was no real concerted attacking effort.

Well done to Port, a deserved victory. The Swatcats must now press on with important games to come.

Match Day 27 Stats

 

Dateline 22^nd September 2019

 FT NRFC 4 Samut Prakan City 1

Attendance; 4277

A vital match this weekend with the Swatcats hovering perilously above the bottom three.

On a heavy pitch, the Swatcats opened brightly with the visitors on the back foot. There then began a period of total Swatcat domination, rewarded in the 11^th minute when Henri broke forward from deep within his own half only to be upended in the box by former Swatcat keeper Kampon. The keeper atoned for his error by saving a weak spot kick from Henri.

With Amadou fizzing in midfield, his slide rule though ball in the 17^th minute put Assumpcao clear but his shot was brilliantly tipped over by Kampon.

In the 22^nd minute a dizzy run inside the box from Amadou ended when he thumped a shot against the bar, the ball rebounded to Assumpcao whose rocket shot was superbly saved by hero Kampon.

In a late and rare foray forward by the visitors, keeper Cunningham was forced to push a low drive wide and as the first half drew to a close, Samut Prakan could have considered themselves lucky not to be to be or three down.

 Inevitably, one wondered would the home team rue the many opportunities missed during the first 45 minutes, and as the second period progressed, with glorious inevitability and despite continued pressure from the hosts, Samut Prakan snatched a one goal lead when Ibson Melo slotted home smartly in the 63^rd minute. The lead was short lived as minutes later, Akekanat rose to head in from a corner.

The Swatcats now stormed forward searching for a much needed 3-point haul and with an Akekanat drive drifting just wide and the visitor’s goal under almost constant siege, a second goal looked likely.

There then followed an amazing blitzkrieg that yielded three goals in five minutes. In the 83^rd minute Kampon saved well from an Assumpcao freekick and seconds later Assumpcao shot in from 18 yards to give the Swatcats the lead. The lead was doubled in the 86^th minute when Amadou ended a solo run with a low shot into the corner of the net. Amazingly the Swatcats went four up when Henri stooped to head in an Amadou cross.

Phew, a breathless performance at the right time for the Swatcats and a debut victory for newly appointed coach Chalermwoot Sa-ngapol. This victory puts them 4 points above the relegation zone. There is still much hard work to avoid the drop but a terrific performance to put Samut Prakan to the sword. With the visitors seemingly not up for the fight, this score could have easily been doubled by the marauding men from Korat.

The question now is can this form be replicated in the remaining four games to enable Tier 1 survival - rather bizarrely, the Swatcats are only 4 points below 7th place, coach Joksic’s original target for the season - what am I thinking, survival will suit me just fine!!

Match Day 27 Stats

Dateline 14^th September

 Port FC V NRFC

A massive storm welcomed the players onto the pitch in this match, so vital for different reasons, to both teams. Assumpcao was on the bench, with Chitchanok starting.

In near apocalyptic conditions, the match kicked off but the players were taken off after 3 minutes due to the unplayable pitch.

The game was abandoned without further play.

Match Day 26 Stats