Phuket football: Islanders unable to tame Port Lions

PHUKET: The Islanders drew 1-1 with the Port Authority of Thailand’s pro soccer team, Singhtarua FC on Saturday night at Phuket’s Surakul Stadium, and the home team will feel unlucky not to have claimed all three points.

Playing their 9th fixture away, in their first season ever in the Thai Division 1 (Yamaha League One or YL1), the Singhtarua FC “Port Lions” survived a late onslaught, with Phuket’s Thodsaphon Kanplook hitting the post before Luiz “Dudu” Purcino hit the bar again, with a header.

In a tight first half, chances for both teams were hard to come by.

Dudu forced the visiting team’s keeper into a great save just before half time, while the Lions’ North Korean forward, Myong Jon Ri, should have done better with his diving header from six yards out.

His team mate, one of the YL1’s leading scorers, Brazilian striker Leandro da Luz’s 20 yard free kick was just wide of the Phuket goal.

Phuket took the lead in the second half when Dudu ran onto a through ball played into the box, and struck his shot from a tight angle that beat Singhtarua’s keeper at his near post.

Singhtarua, who were relegated from the Thai Premier League last season (then known as Thai Port FC), equalized when midfielder Diarra Ali rose the highest in Phuket’s box to glance his header past keeper Adisak Doungsri.

In the final minutes of the game, Steven Robb forced Adisak to palm the ball onto his own bar.

Phuket threw all they could at Singhtarua but the post and bar denied the Islanders a valuable win.

The Port Lions remain in 4th place, tied on points with 3rd place BBCU.

Phuket remain in fifth place, three points behind top of the table PTT Rayong FC and Air Force United.

The Islanders next game is an away match against 16th place Ayutthaya FC on May 11. Phuket’s next home game is against Rayong FC on May 18.

Other YL1 results over the weekend

• Rayong FC 3 – 3 Khon Kaen FC
• Krabi FC 2 – 1 Royal Navy
• Nakhon Pathom Utd 1 – 1 Trat FC
• Korat 0 – 0 BBCU
• PTT Rayong 1 – 0 Si Racha Suzuki
• TTM FC 0 – 0 Gulf Saraburi
• Air Force Utd 2 – 1 Ayutthaya FC
• Bangkok FC 4 – 3 Rayong Utd

— Andrew Scott