Going into Saturday’s game, their twelfth of the 16 game season, the Andaman Dragon sat at 4th in the nine-side Euro Cake Thai League 4 on 18 points while The Royal Warship sat in 2nd on 23 points.
Satun United were top of the table on 27 points, Pattani FC were 3rd on 21 points.
The team who wins the league gains automatic promotion to Thai League 3, the 2nd placed team will go into a play-off with the 2nd placed teams in the other five Thai League 4 regional divisions.
And it took Phuket only two minutes to score their opener against Chumphon on Saturday.
A neat cross from the left by Nattapoom Maya (7) found Porbracha Rodnakared (25) in the box and he skilfully dodged defenders and cleverly chipped the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net.
Straight after conceding the goal, Chumphon immediately piled on the pressure and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. However, Phuket managed to extend their lead in the twelfth minute of the first 45.
A short pass from the right found Thawatchai Supphanam (23), he neatly turned the ball around a Chumphon defender, and on the volley took a shot from around 35 yards out which went flying past Chumphon’s keeper.
Despite taking the lead so early in the game Phuket managed to survive the first 45 minutes with their 0-2 lead in tact.
In fact, they managed to do so up until the 86th minute mark when Chumphon managed to pull a goal back.
A cross from the right flank was put into the centre of Phuket’s penalty box and Chumphon’s St Kitts and Nevis defender Hanley Tishan Tajahni (20) headed the ball home to bring the score to 1-2.
However, it’s likely that Phuket will put that goal down to the 71st minute dismissal of their Ivorian defender Hamed de Silci Diarrassouba who was sent off after receiving his second yellow card of the game.
Phuket’s win over Chumphon moved them up one place to 3rd on the league table now on equal points as Pattani FC (21) but with better goal difference, and leaves them nine points off from league leaders Satun United (30).
And that leads us on to Phuket’s next game which will in fact be played against Satun this coming Saturday (July 8). The game is being played at home (Surakul Stadium) with kick-off set for 6pm. Admission is only B50 and free for students who show their student ID card.
It’s a must win game for Phuket FC and hopefully, if they do manage to take the three points, could well send Satun on a much needed downward spiral.
Get there in Saturday to support your local team, they need you!