Going into the match – both side’s 19th of the 26-fixture season – Phuket were in 4th place of the 14-club Futsal Thailand Premier League with 30 points, while Ayutthaya were in 8th with 25 points.
The last time the two sides met this season back in May, in Phuket, the Andaman Pearl came out victors 3-1. But this time, at Ayutthaya’s Huntra Centre, reinforced by their fans the Ancient Warriors would ensure a different outcome.
The opening goal was scored in 4th minute of play when Panya Buakham nailed a free kick, beating Phuket’s wall and keeper with power and precision.
After studying the video replay on the challenge that led to the free kick, it is questionable whether the call and yellow card to Phuket’s Edson “Gugu” Silva was even justified.
But there is no question to the validity surrounding Ayutthaya’s second goal, scored in the 11th minute by Nattaphon Junhomhuan, who’d simply and beautifully back-flicked the ball home after it had been skillfully moved in a big circle around Phuket’s flanks, using defensive-stretching passing straight from the play book.
Five minutes into the second half, fate looked as if it were to return favour to Phuket when an Ayutthaya player was ejected with his second yellow card, giving the visitors a 2-minute man-advantage.
Unlike 11-a-side football where a red card affects the entire remainder of the game, in futsal a red-carded man-off is only valid for 2 minutes or until the other team scores, and then the number of players, five-a-side, is brought back into balance.
But trying to take full advantage of their 5-vs-4 odds, Phuket replaced their keeper with a fifth attacker, which proved to backfire on them when Ayutthaya’s Panya jumped on the first chance to scoop the ball up and lob it over all the players the full pitch’s distance and into an unguarded goal for 3-0 scoreline.
The two sides continued to exchange blows fiercely but neither could affect the score in the rest of the match.
Ayutthaya, now with 28 points, moved into 7th place, while Phuket dropped one place into 5th, still with 33 points.
The Andaman Pearl now take rest for a few weeks and resume play on Sunday, August 9, at home against last placed CAT FC.
Class Act Media are proud media partners with Phuket United.