Raj season awards

Rajpracha fans voted for the team's best foreign player and best Thai player respectively before last Saturday's one-all draw with Khoen Kean. Unsurprisingly, Yen Emile won the 'foreign' category while Sarawut Sintupun won the local honours. Congratulations to them both. For my part I voted for Yen Emile and Awakjit Sulaiman, who returned to action on Saturday for the first time since his injury, which will be a huge boost to Raj ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup game with Muangthong.

These pictures courtesy of Dreizehn@ชฎาเกรท at the Rajpracha website.

Yen receives his award.

And Sarawut takes his award, just before his bedtime.

Sulaiman back in action

Chang girls, along with the club president

Raj 1 Chiang Rai United 1 - report

 Goalscorer - Sarawaut Sintupun

Credit: football.rajpracha.com

What a difference four days can make! Rajpracha fought back to earn a well-deserved one-all draw with northerners Chiang Rai United in front of a small crowd that included a large proportion of away fans who made the twelve hour or more journey from Chiang Rai, as well as Chiang Rai natives now based in and around Bangkok.

But the small number of home fans - remember this was an early kick off on a day that England were playing World Cup football on TV - spurred on a much improved Rajpracha team to a bright start.

It seems that many of the problems I discussed in my last blog were recognised by the management. The two outfield African players - Walumpah and Thierry  Touoyem - were returned to defence and attack respectively, adding desperately needed muscle to the outfield. The whole team looked determined and ready to receive the ball and make something happen at any time. Perhaps the most remarkable change was in Nirun Phuntong, who looked back to his nutmegging, feinting, pacing best instead of just being a lightweight midfielder getting nudged off the ball every time.  On one occasion he was played into trouble in his own box and responded by beating two men and playing a safe square ball to clear the danger.Last Saturday, it would have been a sure opening for the opposition.

But for all the drive, Raj still lacked presence in the Chiang Rai penalty area. Around the twenty minute mark, CR scored the opening goal. I missed it so I can't say what happened. Raj fans and players responded well and redoubled their efforts. By contrast, Chiang Rai responded by almost immediately employing time wasting tactics. The stretcher appeared three times before half time.

The second half was a similar story as Raj chased the game and CRU attacked on the break or attempted to run down the clock. The latter tactic was finally stopped after the eighth stretcher appearance on the field. A CRU player pretended to be limping off the pitch and was booked for time wasting.

Undeterred by such bad sportsmanship, Raj mixed the usual wing play with some attacks through the middle - another problem by its absence I mentioned last time - where they were given more space than they've had in recent games.

Still it seemed that it would not be enough. After all, Raj still lack a true poacher in attack and crosses and dangerous square balls in the box never seem to fall to the right person at the right time. I felt it would take a bit of luck to grab the equaliser but luck finally came through about ten minutes from time as waist-high cross bounced off the midriff of a CRU defender and somehow squirmed through to number fourteen Sarawut, who tapped it in.

The relief lifted the team further still and the lads chased the winner in the dying moments but it was not to come. Indeed, Yen Emile still had some saves to make which he did comfortably. It was yet another solid display from this reliable keeper. The heavy defeats of late were not his fault at all.

A draw was probably a fair score in this game. It's a shame CRU attempted to take the dirty way out but the great improvement in Rajpracha - coupled with a promise of new faces in the transfer window -  should give us all hope for the relegation scrap we now face. Good job guys!