Buriram needed a dramatic stoppage time goal from Yong to finally see-off battling Chonburi who came back to level after being 2-0 down . It was not the best goal Buriram will score this year but it will certainly be one of the most important. Buriram looked to be in cruise control when Tunez put them two up early in the second- half but defensive errors let the visitors back into the game.
Buriram were again without the injured Koravit and how they are missing the reliable defender and hopefully he will return in a couple of weeks or so. Yet again, set-pieces were responsible for two of Buriram’s goals and it is a worry that more are not coming from open play. No-one is looking like a twenty goals- plus striker and the midfield, Jakkaphan in particular, are missing chances.
A capacity crowd saw Buriram make a bright start and in the seventh minute a long ball found Anawin free down the left and as the midfielder pulled the trigger, a defender managed to get in an excellent block. Two minutes later Yong was brought down wide left and when Suchao’s free-kick came into the box , Kaio hit a thunderous shot on the turn which hit a Chonburi defender full in the face from only three yards.
He collapsed to the floor and after lengthy treatment, he went off on a stretcher and was substituted. There followed a period of neither side being able to really dominate the other and goalmouth action was scarce. Siwarak made a good save from a thirty-yard free-kick in the twentieth minute, diving to his left and turning the ball round for a corner.
In the twenty-fifth minute Kaio did well to to turn his marker in the left of the box but the resulting shot did not have enough power to trouble the keeper. Four minutes later, neat build-up play saw a good ball over the top play Yong in but poor control let the Korean down.
However, Buriram did take the lead just after the half-hour mark with a well constructed and taken goal. Patient build-up play was followed by another long ball over the top for Yong. He was under intense pressure from a defender but managed to lay the ball back for Suchao to score easly from twelve yards.
Chonburi responded with a quick break down the right in the thirty-sixth minute and Nattapol got in a superb block when the cross came in. Two minutes later Buriram made good progress down the left and when the ensuing cross found Anawin in space on the right, the midfielder sent his shot high and wide.
Three minutes before the interval Buriram sliced the Chonburi defence open with some excellent first-time passing but when the ball reached Jakkaphan on the left , he tried a shot from an impossible angle and the ball sailed harmlessly into the crowd with plenty of support in the box.
Buriram had played some good football and fully deserved their interval lead. But as ever, one goal is never enough and Chonburi had posed a threat on several occasions. It had been an entertaining half, much appreciated by the huge crowd.
Buriram went in search of the all-important second goal and Jakkaphan had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide for a corner in the forty-ninth minute. Suchao’s cross from the right found Tunez unmarked and the big defender stooped low to direct his header into the net. Just the start Buriram needed.
Buriram almost increased their lead a minute later when Kaio’s header was blocked at the expense of a left-wing corner. Theerathon sent over a good cross which found Narubadin but the defender headed wide when well-placed. Chonburi then broke away down the right and Siwarak made a great save ,diving to his left.
Buriram should have sewn the game up on the hour mark when the best move of the match saw Kaio set Jakkaphan up on the edge of the box but with time and space, he side-footed wide. A bad miss and Chonburi made Buriram pay four minutes later. Nattapol was unlucky to be pulled up for an aerial challenge on the left and from the free-kick Lassumpcao was left completely free to beat Siwarak with a firm header.
In the sixty-seventh minute Kaio was fouled wide right and Theerathon’s dipping cross was turned over by the keeper. Four minutes later Seul-Ki hammered in a shot from thirty-five yards which flew inches wide of the post. Shortly after, Suchao was just too high with a free-kick from thirty yards.
Jakkaphan then received a yellow card for a needless challenge before Buriram almost got the killer third goal. Kaio turned a through ball to his right and found Anawin in space in the area. He took a touch before sending a low shot towards the far-corner but the keeper somehow managed to stick out his right leg and divert the ball to safety.
The save became even more vital when Buriram gifted Chonburi an equaliizer ten minutes from time. The defence had dealt competently with a Chonburi attack and as Buriram moved out, Theerathon inexplicably gave the ball away wide right. The ball was moved swiftly to Rodrigo who turned inside and curled a brilliant shot into the top far-corner of the net.
A great strike, yes, but it came out of complacency and it brought Chonburi level in a match that should by then have been out of their reach. Buriram threw on Sittichok for Anawin and shortly after Weslley for Jakkaphan. Two minutes from time a through ball almost caught the Buriram defence napping but the danger was cleared.
Urged on by the vociferous Buriram faithful, the home side poured forward and Weslley latched onto a through ball down the left before going down in the area. The referee rightly issued the Brazilian with a yellow card for diving, despite his protests. As the game moved into stoppage time, Buriram were bombarding the Chonburi area with crosses but to no avail.
In the final seconds, Buriram won a corner on the right and Theerathon’s cross was headed out to the left. The ball was returned to the far post where Narubadin headed it back across the six-yard area for Yong to turn it goalwards. The keeper managed to keep it out but then a defender got in his way and the ball rebounded to Yong almost on the line and he gleefully turned it into the net.
The crowd went wild, as did the Buriram players. Chonburi surrounded the assistant, claiming Yong was offside but the ball had come back off the defender. Songkran is a crazy time of year so I suppose it was fitting we had a crazy finish. In the end, Buriram were lucky but to be fair, they were the better team and just about deserved the three points.
However, the frailties up front were once again apparent, though Kaio did put in a good shift and was more of a threat than in previous games. Koravit is a big miss as his understanding with Tunez is the rock on which the Buriram defence is founded and they need him back as soon as possible.