Buriram United failed to overcome a stubborn Chiang Rai side in a disappointing game , where Buriram were nowhere near at their best. They created few clear goalscoring chances and at times were guilty of giving the ball away far too often. It was only when Weslley came on for Kaio that they looked threatening and the Brazilian had a couple of chances to become the hero.
Buriram brought back Jakkaphan and Anawin , hoping to add some creativity following the narrow win over Navy. Buriram almost made a dream start in the fifth minute when Tunez met Theerathon’s left-wing corner with a glancing header which went just wide of the far post.
Chiang Rai responded four minutes later when a low shot was deflected just wide and indeed should have taken the lead in the eleventh minute when a free-kick from the right found an attacker unmarked in front of goal but in attempting to take the ball on the volley, he missed it completely.
Shortly after Theerathon was very fortunate that the referee did not see him attempt to kick an opponent after he had been fouled. There followed a period of little goalmouth action at either end before Kaio received a yellow card for a wild challenge after twenty minutes.
Fiver minutes later Koravit came to Buriram’s rescue with a wonderful saving tackle after Chiang Rai had breached the Buriram defence. Little was being seen of Buriram as an attacking force, though Tunez should’ve done much better with a free-header from Yong’s left-wing cross on the half-hour mark.
Five minutes later Tunez went into the referee’s book following a needless, clumsy challenge. There followed a bizarre incident in the fortieth minute when Suchao and a Chiang Rai player chased a ball towards the touchline and Suchao gave his opponent a little nudge to send him crashing into the advertizing board, where is leg became trapped. After frantic attempts to free him, the player was able to resume,unhurt.
When Buriram did manage to get into dangerous positions they were guilty of over-elaborating, with no-one taking the responsibility to shoot and it was difficult to see where a goal was going to come from as the players went in at half-time.
Siwarak was forced to make a save early on in the second-half, diving low to his left. Suchao then set Theerathon away down the left with a wonderful pass but the ensuing cross was too close to the keeper. Kaio then fired a left-foot shot wide from twenty yards in the fifty-fifth minute when he should at least have hit the target.
Just after the hour Kaio hit a shot into the ground which the struck the angle of post and bar but the referee had spotted an infringement. Buriram then had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the sixty-fourth minute when Nattapon sent over a great low cross from the right which Jakkaphan got to first but his weak shot was easy for the keeper.
Buriram then introduced Weslley for the largely ineffective Kaio and the young Brazilian looked sharp and certainly more of a threat. He’s quick and very strong and gave the Chiang Rai defence something to think about. Sixteen minutes from time Anon came on for Yong.
In the eightieth minute Weslley got clear on goal but was hauled down from behind and the Chiang Rai defender was perhaps fortunate to escape with only a yellow card. Theerathon’s free- kick was half-cleared back to him and he thundered in a shot from thirty-five yards which the keeper turned over the bar. A yard either side and it would’ve found the net.
A minute later Weslley out-muscled two defenders to get a clear sight of goal but he went for the near-post allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save. Five minutes from time Weslley beat the offside trap down the left-channel but once again went for the near-post and fired wide.
Then a minute from time Theerathon’s free-kick from wide left was headed just wide of the far-post by Tunez and in stoppage time Jakkaphan had the chance to seal the three points but again his shot lacked real conviction and the keeper saved.
This was not an easy game for Buriram and Chiang Rai will be difficult to beat on their own patch. However, the fact remains that the home goalkeeper had little to do and it is a major concern that goals are going to be hard to come by. Weslley certainly looked lively when he came on so let’s hope that he can start to fill the void left by Diogo.
Buriram travel to Japan to play Sanfrecce Hiroshima in a must-win Champions League game on Wednesday March 16 5pm (Thai time).
There wll then be a two-week international break before Suphanburi visit Thunder Castle on Wednesday, March 30, 6pm.