Played in front of some 2,000 energetic blue-, black- and gold-clad supporters at the Saphan Hin Sports Complex, the match was both side’s 7th of the 26th-fixture Futsal Thailand Premier League (FTPL) 2015 season.
Scroll down for video highlights, courtest of SMM Sport.
Going into the match, than the Andaman Pearl sat in 9th place with 10 points, just one less than the Ancient Warriors in 8th place with 11 points.
Phuket hoped to match their impressive home result against Ayuthaya last year, but it became apparent after the opening whistle that this time it wasn’t going to be so easy.
In the opening exchanges, both clubs looked eager for a goal, and saw many chances, but keepers on both ends of the pitch were "on the ball" to keep the match at a scoreless deadlock into half time.
The visitors took the first real shot of the match two minutes into the second half when Dechnithit (no 11) stole the ball before blasting Phuket’s right goal-post from a right-footed missile off the right flank.
But three minutes later, it was Phuket to break the ice, when Thanakorn Penpakul (no 9) with his right foot on the left flank beat Ayuthaya’s keeper with a fast low shot on the near post.
Penpakul set up his shot when he played the ball in bounds to Thanakorn Piyaprichayut (no 10), who, marked by two defenders in the box, laid the ball off, back to Penpakul, who drove it home.
Only seconds later, Penpakul would be credited with the match’s second goal, but to the favour of Ayuthaya, whose number 20’s pass to number 7 positioned near Phuket’s goalpost, instead found the foot of Penpakul for an own goal.
But Penpakul would make up for it two minutes later on a 1-2 combination with Anuwat Panoppha, who from the box, laid it off, back to Penpakul, finding space deep in Ayuthaya territory near the left of the box, where he beat the keeper on the far post, sending fans into euphoria.
Halfway through the half, Phuket went up one more with a long-range shot by Brazilian import Edson Gugu (no 4), whose shot from just behind the half-pitch line looked to be aimed for his comrade Jackson Santos (no 5), pivoting in the goal box.
But seeing the destined trajectory of the shot, Jackson flicked his head in a clever fake at just the right moment to allow Gugu’s shot to find its way into the back of the net, uninterupted.
Both keepers didn’t allow anything past them after that. In the waning minutes Ayuthaya employed a strategic power play formation, switching in-out an attacking keeper with each possession.
But it didn’t see any breach of Phuket’s solid zone defence, who nearly upped their side’s lead with a few long range misses on their opponent’s unguarded goal.
The score remained unchanged to the final whistle, 3-1 to the home team.
The result immediately elevated Phuket three spots into 6th, while Ayuthaya fell one spot into 9th.
Phuket’s ranking may change depending on the result tonight between 4th placed Bangkok FC (14 points with a goal difference of 10) and 7th placed Thai Port (13 points, GD 5).
If Bangkok wins, Phuket will stay in 6th place with 13 points and a plus-six goal difference. But if it’s a draw or Thai Port prevails, then Phuket will be settle back down to 7th place.
The road ahead is steep, with the Andaman Pearl next to hit the road for a Saturday, May 23 match against Samut Sakhon, who are now in third place with 16 points after besting Siam Navy last night away, 3-2.
After that, Phuket will return for their next home fixture against current 4th place team, Bangkok FC on May 30.
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