Saturday 13 April 2013

Nonthaburi 2 Roi Et Utd 2 (Nonthaburi win 8-7 on pens)


How we roll

All photo credits: Bank Kammo

Nonthaburi entered round three (also known as the first round proper, just like the English counterpart) last Wednesday after making life a little hard.

Roi Et United took an impressive amount of fans south to Nonthaburi and roared their team on but it was the home side who drew first blood midway through the first half with a goal by Traore following a run from midfield.

The lead was extended after a goalkeeping mistake gifted Tomi a chance, but the English forward still had to keep his composure to finish and he did so.

The game should have been killed off but substitutions changed the flow of the game and Roi Et saw a lot more possession in the final thirty minutes of action, culminating in an injury time equaliser that sent the team and its fans wild.
Everyone got stuck in

As with the previous round, a draw after 90 minutes meant we went straight to penalties. What with the last minute equaliser, our previous penalty win, the surrender of a two goal lead and the fact that Roi Et did not, as far as I know, have any English fans in their end all made me feel that our luck was exhausted. Yet Roi Et missed their first penalty and suddenly it all started to feel like a repeat of the previous cup game. Less so when we missed our second penalty.

From then on it was a heart-stopping, nerve-jangling collection of well-taken penalties from both sides until ...YES! Roi Et miss penalty number seven (if my memory serves me well).

And then we miss our penalty, too. It's that horrid feeling in your gut that hits you when this happens.


So here comes their next name on the list and...YEEEESSSSS! Roi Et miss penalty no.eight!

And then my favourite moment of the game. Our number 14 (Athikun) walked over to the penalty spot. Of course this was sudden death so he had not volunteered to take a penalty and perhaps was just a tad nervous. He looked over to the fans, saw them roaring him on and clenched his fist. I don’t know why, but it was good to see.

He scored. We won. Great job Athikun!


Despite everything that happened - I haven’t even mentioned Cedric sacrificing himself via a late tactical foul that earned him his second yellow of the game - this match wasn’t a classic by any means, thanks in no small part to yet another ref who believes that a strong official has to blow his whistle at least once every ten seconds.  Yet the penalty shoot out was as tense as any I‘ve witnessed and it’s worth noting that even with players like Alasanne playing less than half the game we still managed to overcome a team sitting 3rd in the North East table.

Keep up the great form, lads. If we draw a D1 team at home in the next round, I fancy an upset.

Tuesday 9 April 2013

Chamchuree United 0 Nonthaburi FC 2



Copyright 2013 Banjerd Foto


Two second half goals were enough to push Eka up to fourth in D2 BKK as they came out comfortable visitors over Chamchuree United. The pink-shirted opposition were playing away from their usual home of the Chulalonkorn University Stadium and reports state that Nonthaburi looked comfortable all through the game. Tomi added another goal to his tally, he is now top-scorer with six goals already.


Eka take on Roi Et United in the FA Cup tomorrow. KO@1530

Photos of the game here















Goalscorers list:



Friday 5 April 2013

Nonthaburi 1 Pathum Thani United 1 (Eka win on penalties) - Report

Pathanphong celebrates the shoot-out win
(Credit:Nitinont Image & GraphicStudio )


Nonthaburi broke a long-running cup jinx and finally made it over the first hurdle of a knockout competition with a win over PTU that was as close as the full time score suggests.

Nonthaburi made a few changes to their regular line up, resting Tomi and Alassane and trying out new players such as Asiriya (no.24), who had an excellent second half.

Eka had more possession but struggled to pass through a packed PTU midfield and the visitors opened the scoring midway through the first half with a breakway goal that saw Pathanphong beaten at his far post. The lead was short lived however, as a superb long pass (see the vid) was matched in quality by the lob from no.12, Atapon to even the score.

After half time Nonthaburi introduced Alssane, whose link-up play with John really changed the game. Still the second goal was elusive so, under Thai FA Cup rules, the game went straight to penalties.

PTU netted their first penalty but missed their next three, allowing the home side a win we probably deserved.Credit to both teams for behaving professionally through the shoot-out and well done to the lads for another good game and, finally, a cup win!

Eka will now play Roi Et at home next Wednesday (KO said to be @ 1530 but subject to change) in the second round. The big boys are just one win away.




Monday 1 April 2013

Eka 1 Customs 0 - Highlights

Nonthaburi 1 SP Customs 0 - Report



sstv.siamsport.co.th


Nonthaburi FC moved up to fourth place in D2 BKK with a 1-0 victory over Customs.

Customs crafted the first real chances of the game but Nonthaburi quickly took control and after a low cross from the right goaline set up Tomi for a neat finish. Tomi makes goalscoring look easy, something no other Eka player has managed since the club was formed.

Though the scoreline and performance was less emphatic than previous home games, the home side still controlled most of the action and Customs players began to make clumsy challenges as they become frustrated in the second half. In the dying moments of he match they conceded a penalty. The choice of penalty-taker was defender Cedric. While any player should be capable of scoring a  penalty, I was surprised we chose a defender for the job. Cedric’s penalty was well struck but clipped the bar, and the rebound was saved. The game finished 1-0.

Cedric was still my choice for MOTM in this game as the central defender was always in the right place to clear any inbound passes high and far throughout the game, a straightforward but vital task and again, this type of player is something we’ve lacked in past seasons.

We are home to Pathum Thani United on Wednesday in an FA Cup fixture. KO @ 1530


A feature on Nonthaburi FC fans (Thai):