Kirins held, Port suffer big upset
Former Thai League 1 champions SCG Muang Thong United failed to take advantage of their home turf and a depleted opposition as they settled for a goalless draw against 10-man Nakhon Ratchasima last night.
The Kirins were favourites to win their first game in three outings and received a further boost as the visiting Swat Cats were reduced to 10 men shortly after the 30-minute mark when midfielder Ekkachai Rittiphan received his marching orders.
While Muang Thong remained in the fourth place in the table, they now lag 15 points behind leaders and defending champions Buriram United, who defeated Ubon UMT United in a northeastern derby on Saturday to carry their points total to 56.
The Thunder Castle’s title hopes received a shot in the arm late Saturday night when their closest rivals, secondplaced Bangkok United, fell further behind in the title race after a goalless draw with visiting PT Prachuap.
Bangkok United are now nine points adrift of Buriram with their hopes of claiming their first ever league crown evaporating fast after going four matches without a victory.
Third-placed Port suffered a major upset last night when they became the first team to lose to cellar-dwellers Air Force Central in more than three months.
Air Force pulled off the shock victory late in the match after Port were reduced to 10 men. Defender Nitipong Selanon was sent off in the 34th minute of the match.
Air Force, who had entered last night’s match on the back of an 11-game losing streak, had last won a league match in the first week of April when they defeated Nakhon Ratchasima 1-0 in an away battle.
Yotsak Chaowana and Pinyo Inpinit had given Air Force the upper hand before Port hit back with two quick goals through Kim Sung-Hwan and Dragan Boskovic to level the score.
Greg Houla pounced on an 89th-minute opportunity to net the winner for the home team.
Meanwhile, Muang Thong’s former coach Totchtawan Sripan failed to deliver a victory for Police Tero in his third game in charge as his new team played out to a 1-1 draw against Suphanburi.
It was a lucky escape for Totchtawan and his team as Lukian Almeida succeeded in grabbing the equaliser by converting an injury-time spot kick. Suphanburi had led for about an hour following a 34th-minute strike by Ariel Rodriguez.
In the other game last night, relegation-threatened Bangkok Glass managed a 1-1 draw at Pattaya United.