Buriram made light work of what looked a tricky fixture on paper. A sparkling second-half performance left Ratchaburi reeling and it could have been more as Diogo was upended twice by the visitors’ keeper but the referee wasn’t interested on either occasion.
Buriram continued with Chaowat in place of Jakkaphan in midfield and Narubadin came in for Chitipat in defence.Former Buriram Academy director Josep Ferre returned to Thunder Castle as Ratchaburi coach and he will have plenty to do to lift his shell-shocked troops.
Buriram went straight on the offensive and in the second minute Seul Ki, who had an outstanding game, found Macena on the right who crossed for Diogo to head over. A minute later, the ball was pulled back from the right for Seul Ki to have his low shot saved by the keeper.
Buriram went even closer in the fifth minute when after great work by Theerathon down the left, Diogo crossed and almost forced an own-goal from a desperate defender. From the resulting corner from the right, Suchao crashed a header against the bar and Seul Ki couldn’t take advantage of the rebound.
Theerathon was at it again in the ninth minute when he won the ball well down the left before sending over a great cross which was just out of the reach of a stretching Seul Ki. Buriram were playing well with the midfield trio of Suchao, Theerathon and Seul Ki dominating the visitors.
However, out of the blue Ratchaburi almost took the lead in the sixteenth minute.Tunez gave the ball away and a cross from the right was headed against the post with Siwarak a mere spectator.
Five minutes later a flowing Buriram move down the right ended with a cross into the box which Diogo went for with an impossible bicycle kick. Siwarak then did well to turn over a rasping thirty-five yard shot after twenty-five minutes.
Buriram had a great chance to break the deadlock in the twenty-eighth minute. Tunez won the ball before sending a defence-splitting pass for Diogo to time his run perfectly to beat the offside trap.
The Brazilian’s first touch was sublime as he killed the ball before sending in a low shot which the keeper saved with his legs. However, Buriram were not to be denied and took the lead four minutes later.
There seemed little danger when Suchao picked the ball up out on the left. However, the skipper curled a delicate cross into the box which Diogo went for under pressure from a defender. They both missed the ball which appeared to unsight the keeper and the ball found its way into the net.
A touch fortunate, but no more than Buriram deserved. It was almost two in the fortieth minute but the keeper just beat Macena to Seul Ki’s through pass. A minute later Buriram were denied an iron-clad penalty.
Diogo got free in the box and dummied the advancing keeper. He moved to go past him and managed to evade the flailing legs but he was caught by an outstretched arm and went down. The ball rolled slowly towards the empty net but a defender got back to clear.
It looked a clear penalty and it left the striker sitting on the ground,staring in disbelief.So at half-time Buriram held a narrow advantage but the visitors had shown that they had the ability to break quickly with Wander looking a threat in midfield.
Buriram almost made the perfect start to the second-half in the forty-ninth minute when Diogo collected the ball and turned inside a defender,only to be brought down in the D. Theerathon’s low free-kick took a deflection to flash just wide of the post.
Theerathon took the corner and his inswinger was scrambled off the line before being cleared.Eight minutes later Buriram were denied a second spot-kick by the referee and this one was even more obvious than the first.
The ball was played in and Diogo controlled it well before trying to take it round the advancing keeper. Once again, an arm sent Diogo sprawling to the ground but incredibly the referee waved play on.
However the vital second goal soon arrived in the sixty-third minute. Anawin was brought down wide right but Theerathon made a hash of the free-kick. Buriram won the ball back and it finally reached Suchao on the left edge of the area.
He cleverly cut inside before beating the keeper at his near post with a well-struck,low shot. This gave Buriram breathing space but they had Siwarak to thank for maintaining their two-goal advantage shortly after.
Narubadin did well to cover a dangerous through-ball at the expense of a corner. The ball was headed out to a Ratchaburi player who sent in a fierce shot which Siwarak saved superbly,diving to his right.
Buriram came straight back and Suchao won the ball well in midfield before setting Theerathon free down the left. The midfielder advanced before flashing a low shot just wide of the far post.
Buriram almost made the game safe in the seventieth minute. Tunez broke up an attack and advanced downfield before picking out Macena. The big defender continued his run and when Macena gave him a return ball, he was unlucky to see his shot blocked.
A minute later the third goal did come from the penalty-spot. Chaowat collected the ball on the edge of the box and sent in a shot wich was blocked. The midfielder then fired the loose ball into the net only to find that the assistant referee had awarded a penalty for handball from Chaowat’s original shot.
The inevitable outcome was that Tunez once again calmly sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot. Macena was then replaced by Jandson and the Brazilian left the field to deserved, generous applause.
Buriram went in search of more and Jandson headed a Theerathon cross wide before the midfielder was then replaced by Anon. In the seventy-seventh minute Koravit sent over an excellent cross from the left for Diogo to rise and send a powerful,downward header towards the corner of the net,only for the keeper to make a superb,one-handed save.
A very tired Suchao was then replaced by Supachok with ten minutes left but the substitutions did nothing to halt the waves of Buriram attacks. Jandson and Diogo combined well to create a half-chance for Diogo but the angle was too tight.
However, Jandson did get on the scoresheet in the eighty-sixth minute when he out-muscled a defender before moving forward to hammer a low shot past the beleagured keeper.
A minute later it was five ! Buriram attacked down the left before the ball was switched to Anawin on the right.He controlled it before firing in a low shot which took a slight deflection to beat the keeper at his near-post.
Ratchaburi had a final foray in stoppage time and when a corner was headed out, Siwarak got down well to his left to make another good stop.Siwarak has played a major part in Buriram’s success this season.
He has made outstanding saves at crucial times on numerous occasions ,often after long spells of Buriram possession which is a testament to his powers of concentration.
Another three points in the bag and another fine,attacking display. Buriram look full of goals and it’s going to take a very good team to stop this impressive run of victories. The next team to try will be Osotspa who entertain Buriram on Saturday October 31st, 6pm. Buriram’s next home game is against Chiangrai on Sunday November 15th, 6pm.