Phuket United tread on Highways Department in season closer

PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal team Phuket United ended the GMM Sport Thailand Futsal Premier League (TFPL) 2012-2013 season in fine form on Saturday in Bangkok, beating lowly Highways Department 2-4 to secure a top-five league finish.

The season closer comes in contrast to Phuket’s season debut in which they were defeated by the same team on the same pitch.

The victory was the Andaman Pearl’s seventh in a row, and ensures that they met their initial season goal of being one of the top five of 16 teams in the national futsal league.

Played at Fashion Island Futsal Arena in Bangkok, the match was both sides 30th and final match of the season.

Going into the game ranked 6th with 48 points, Phuket needed nothing short of three points to move past CAT FC for a 5th place finish.

Employing a quick ‘samba’ start, Phuket took an early two goal lead, first through Brazilian powerhouse, Marcos in the second minute.

Marcos nearly scored again from just inside the area four minutes later, but it was Phuket’s top scorer Jackson Santos, also from Brazil, who reacted first and drove it in to the back of the net.

But the home team quickly answered with two goals by Noppaporn Suti on 11 minutes and a penalty by Chainarong Thipkanha on 16 minutes.

Phuket controlled play for much of the second half, but a string of fouls by both teams slowed the game down.

With his eyes on finishing as runner up for the golden boot, Santos found the net in the 36th minute, going on to complete his hat trick in the final minute.

Santos concludes his first – but hopefully not last – season with Phuket with 36 goals, becoming the runner up for golden boot, which was sealed by Si Saket’s star Brazilian Ramualdo Namorato (39 goals).

The Highways Department, along with Leo Bang Seu will be relegated from the TFPL. For full league table, click here.

Other TFPL Results on Saturday

Prachin 9 – 4 Leo Bang Seu

Samut Prakarn 2 – 6 CAT FC

Surat Thani 6 – 6 Samut Sakhon

Si Sa Ket 2 – 3 Royal Navy

Samut Songkhram 3 – 1 Nonthaburi

Bangkok FC 6 – 3 Lampang Utd

Thai Port 4 – 4 Chonburi

Also, stay tuned next week for an exclusive interview by the Phuket Gazette’s Andrew Scott with Jackson Santos

— Steven Layne