Buriram recovered from going a goal behind to thrash Osotspa to move five points ahead of Muang Thong who went down 2-1 at Army. After falling behind Buriram destroyed the home side to go in at half-time 5-1 up.
Diogo made it six to complete his hat-trick before Osotspa scored twice to give the scoreline some sort of respectability. Buriram understandably took their foot off the gas or who knows what the score might have been. Such was the gulf in class.
This was Buriram’s tenth successive victory and the goals just keep coming as they look to wrap up the title for the third year running.It’s hard to see anyone stopping the Buriram juggernaut with only six games left.
Buriram started brightly and Macena got away down the right to send over a low cross which was cleared in the third minute. Osotspa then stunned the champions by taking the lead in the eighth minute.
The Buriram defence failed to clear a ball into the box which then fell kindly for Leandro to leave Siwarak helpless with an excellent finish. It took only four minutes for Buriram to regain parity when Theerathon swung over a corner from the right for Koravit to powerfully head down into the net.
Buriram continued to push forward and Suchao shot over in the twentieth minute and two minutes later Diogo burst into the box before finding Macena who sent his shot high and wide. An excellent opportunity.
However, it took only another minute for Buriram to take the lead. A long ball down the left set Theerathon away and the midfielder got to the byline before looking up and pulling a great ball back for the on-rushing Macena who coolly finished with a measured, low shot.
Buriram almost increased their lead in the thirtieth minute when a left-wing cross was headed back by Diogo to Macena who thundered in a shot which was unfortunately straight at the keeper who pushed the ball away.
Buriram then hit Osotspa with three goals in twelve minutes to effectively end the game as a contest.In the thirty-fourth minute a great ball sent Theerathon away down the left and his cross found Jakkaphan who’s shot was blocked only to leave Diogo with the simplest of tap-ins.
Nine minutes later a right-wing Theerathon corner was headed down and into the net by the unmarked Narubadin. Then in first-half stoppage time Buriram won a free-kick in a central position, thirty yards out.
Theerathon curled a lovely ball in for Diogo to time his run perfectly to finish with ease. Osotspa didn’t know what had hit them and they must have been grateful to get to the safety of the dressing room to regroup.
Buriram brought on Anon to replace Theerathon who will be on international duty with Thailand next week.Narubadin was shown a yellow card for a needless challenge near the half-way line in the forty-sixth minute.
Seul Ki then fired over the top from the edge of the area and Diogo shot wide following an excellent pass from Suchao. However, he made no mistake in the fifty-fifth minute.
Tunez found him in space on the left with a beautifully flighted long ball. Diogo controlled it before cutting inside and coolly finding the net with a low shot.Osotspa then pulled one back three minutes later when following a scramble in the Buriram box from a corner, Ekaphan finished from almost on the goal-line.
They had another chance shortly after when a long ball found Leandro in the clear but the striker sent his shot way over the top. Buriram then took off Macena for Jandson and the burly front-man laid Jakkaphan’s pass back for Diogo to see his shot saved by the keeper in the sixty-eighth minute.
Anon then went into the referee’s book two minutes later for a rash challenge. Buriram were content to sit back and they brought on Chaowat for Jakkaphan with twelve minutes left. Diogo almost got on the end of a through ball but the keeper just beat him to it.
The Brazilian was then unfortunate to be shown a yellow card for dangerous play, when in fact the Osotspa defender’s head was low rather than Diogo’s foot being high. Koravit was then also given a yellow card for time wasting. 6-2 up , unbelievable.
Buriram almost made it seven when Diogo found Jandson in the box but he elected to pass instead of having a strike on goal three minutes from time. Deep into stoppage time Osotspa got a third when a long ball out of defence was headed beyond Siwarak by Chainarong.
So another step closer to the title and with Muang Thong losing it is all looking pretty good. The only danger now is complacency but I can’t see that being allowed to happen. There is an international break now with Buriram’s next game being Chiangrai at home on Sunday November 15th,6pm.