The Southern Sea Kirin currently sit in ninth position with 24 points from 17 games, trailing league leaders Buriram FC and BBCU FC by 18 points.
While the gap is by no means insurmountable, it is unlikely that coach Somphong Wattana’s side will catch the two runaway leaders. But fans of FC Phuket can take heart from the fact that Bangkok United – the team in third and final promotion place – are just 10 points in front with a total of 51 still to play for.
The Southern Sea Kirin do have their work cut out for them, however; their next four matches all take place away from the comfort of Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town where the majority of their 24 points have been secured.
Despite there being no Division One football to contend with, it has still been a busy period for FC Phuket both on and off the field.
Since they last played in the league, coach Somphong’s side has been involved in both FA Cup and Toyota League Cup matches against Thai Premier League sides TOT SC FC and Sri Racha FC respectively.
In the FA Cup Third Round, the Southern Sea Kirin were narrowly beaten by TOT away from home 1-0 in a game that was shown live on TrueVisions.
FC Phuket acquitted themselves extremely well, creating a number of good chances though unfortunately unable to convert them.
The Greens fared better in the Toyota League Cup, however, progressing to the quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate.
In the first leg at Surakul, the home side were held to a 1-1 draw by Sri Racha from the division above, leaving the team with a tough task in the second leg.
But they responded magnificently, winning the game 3-2 with goals from Kone Adama (2) and Seksit Srisai to advance to the last eight.
Off the field, the club has seen a number of players arrive to bolster the ranks.
The most significant acquisition has been that of French goalkeeper Johnathan Matijas, who represented SC Bastia in France’s Ligue 2.
Matijas has been joined at the club by defender Nitipong Limsuwan from Nonthaburi FC, along with midfielders Hossien Nissim from TTM Pichit FC, Jongrak Pakdee from Bangkok Glass and Boubacar Issuffu from Muang Thong United.
The club was also given a boost when it was revealed that star defender Nene Bi would stay with the club for the remainder of the season.
It was rumoured that the Ivorian might be reunited with former FC Phuket coach Arjan Songngamsub, who is currently in charge of Bangkok Glass.
Coach Somphong will also hope to welcome back injured stars Suphat On-Thong and Thawin Butrasombat before the end of the campaign, after both players broke their ankles earlier in the season.
Saturday’s opponents, Raj Pracha, sit three points ahead of FC Phuket in seventh position but given the marked improvement shown by the Southern Sea Kirin since Somphong took charge of the club, fans of FC Phuket can look forward to the match with confidence.
Earlier in the season, FC Phuket recorded a 2-0 default win over Raj Pracha after it was revealed the away side had finished the game with too many foreign players on the field. The game originally finished 0-0.
If FC Phuket are to start climbing the table they must make a strong start to the second half of the season and a win this Saturday might just be the catalyst they need for a promotion charge.