A very exciting, open game at Nontahburi Stadium ended in bitter disappointment or the home sad.
Unaware spectators would surely have beens hocked to discover that one of the two teams was top of D2, and the other almost bottom. If anything, Eka had the better of most of this game.
Honda appear to be top of D2 via brute force and their style of play was very much “kick and rush” , reminiscent of Wimbledon FC in the eighties.
Eka took the lead after the Honda goalie wrong footed himself in blocking close range shot but Honda equalised in the second half. The game looked set to finish a draw but in the 87th minute, Honda’s winger took the ball down the line, the ball looked to have gone over the touchline but no flag was raised. Honda scored the winner from this same play.
It was too much for many home fans, who had already decided to vent their frustration at the officials. Although mistakes were made by them - as in every game - I saw no real advantage to Honda other than this one, terrible oversight. The scenes at the end when some home fans threw items onto the pitch at officials, gestured at away fans (who behaved impeccably) and jeered the away team helped nobody. I hope we don’t see a repeat of this behaviour.
The players can be proud of themselves for this display. Amazingly, we are still in with a chance of survival thanks to Central Lions. If we go down, we go down fighting to the last breath.
