Buriram overran Chiangrai United in a one-sided contest at Thunder Castle.The visitors came to frustrate Buriram,getting eleven men behind the ball from the start. In fact they didn’t manage to muster a single attempt on goal in the first-half and they paid for their lack of ambition as Buriram swept them aside.
Buriram’s night was complete when title rivals Muang Thong surrendered a two goal lead to draw at home with Suphanburi to leave them seven points adrift of Buriram with only five games to go.This was Buriram’s eleventh consecutive victory with top-scorer Diogo grabbing a hat-trick.
Buriram attacked from the start and in the sixth minute a long ball found Macena who controlled it but his shot on the turn was blocked. From the resulting corner, Tunez’s low shot was cleared off the line, as was Jakkaphan’s follow-up.
Five minutes later Theerathon tried his luck from long-range but his low shot was pushed away by the keeper. Then Diogo picked up a half-clearance in the box but fired wide from a narrow angle. Shortly after he attempted a flying scissors kick when the ball was crossed in from the right but it flew high over the bar.
Buriram were inches away from opening the scoring in the sixteenth minute when Seul Ki’s low shot from outside the box struck the post.Buriram were in total control of the midfield and poured forward,trying to unlock the packed defence. They were getting the ball wide as often as possible but just couldn’t find the telling cross.
They came close again in the twenty-seventh minute when Macena found Suchao in the box but the keeper made a good save. The skipper came even closer five minutes later when Seul Ki was brought down thirty yards out in a central position.
Suchao and Theerathon were both lined up to take the free-kick but it was Suchao who stepped up to rattle the crossbar with a wonderful strike over the wall. Buriram were awarded another free-kick in a similar position when Seul Ki was fouled again in the thirty-eighth minute.
This time it was Theerathon who sent a great shot arrowing towards the top corner , only for the keeper to pull off a fine save. When the corner came over from the right, it was half-cleared to Suchao twelve yards out and he launched into an acrobatic volley which screamed into the net to break the deadlock.
A superb strike and it meant that Chiangrai must surely come out and look for an equalizer. Two minutes later Theerathon again tried a shot from distance which was saved. Jakkaphan picked up the rebound and from a tight angle tried to lift the ball over the keeper but only succeeded in lobbing it into the stopper’s arms.
One goal was hardly just reward for Buriram’s efforts. They chased and pressed every ball, denying Chiangrai possession and could so easlly have been three or four up. However, once Suchao scored there was only going to be one result. It was just a question of how many.
Right at the start of the second-half, Chiangrai surprised everyone by actually mounting an attack down the right and the ball flashed across the face of the Buriram goal. Normal service was resumed in the forty-eighth minute when Narubadin found Diogo in the box and the striker laid a lovely ball off for Macena to fire just wide of the far post.
A minute later Buriram got the vital second goal. Theerathon did well to win the ball on the left touchline before crossing to the near post for Diogo to score with an audacious flick from a tight angle. The finish of a striker in form and full of confidence.
Diogo was only just getting going and the Brazilian made it three in the fifty-fourth minute. Macena picked the ball up wide left before finding Diogo in the box. The Brazilian wasted no time in sending the ball into the far corner with a wonderful shot with the outside of his right boot.
Shortly after Buriram replaced Theerathon with Anawin and Suchao with Surat.This did not affect Buriram’s attacking intent and they added a fourth goal in the sixty-third minute following a dreadful defensive mistake. A shell-shocked defender played a ball straight to Diogo in the box and he hammered a shot high into the net,leaving the keeper helpless.
Buriram then brought on Jandson for Tunez and two minutes later the big Brazilian was on the scoresheet. Macena curled a lovely ball into the box from the right and Jandson did the necessary with a diving header. Jandson had a chance of a second in the seventy-fourth minute.
Narubadin sent him racing clear with a lovely through ball but the ensuing shot lacked real conviction and the keeper saved. Siwarak then came out of hibernation in the seventy-ninth minute, reacting quickly to confidently deal with a through ball outside his area.
Buriram added number six eight minutes from time and it was Macena who got the goal his outstanding performance deserved. A quick break out of defence saw Seul Ki carry the ball forward with Macena completely free to his left.
However, the Korean delayed his pass and was tackled. Fortunately, the ball broke straight to Macena who advanced into the box before dummying the keeper and placing the ball into the empty net. It was almost seven, a minute later.
Jandson got clear on goal again but got the ball stuck between his feet as he attempted to shoot and the chance was gone. Back came Buriram and a superb team move saw Jakkaphan have a great chance but he shot tamely straight at the keeper.
So another successful night for Buriram. This team is just full of goals and obviously confidence is sky-high.Admittedly, Chiangrai provided little in the way of stiff opposition but the way Buriram went about their business was impressive. It would now take a major disaster to prevent a third consecutive league title.
Next up is the League Cup Final against Sisaket on Saturday November 21 in Bangkok. Buriram will be without the suspended Diogo but should still have too much firepower for their Isan neighbours.