Pattaya United were able to break their losing streak and salvage a point at struggling Khon Kaen last weekend after Ludovick equalized for the Dolphins in first half injury time.
The hosts had raced into an early lead when Saiwut volleyed the ball home from close range after Narit could only parry a fierce header from Rermrat onto the crossbar. It brought great delight to the home fans who saw their team get thrashed 6-1 by Chonburi FC the previous week, however their joy was to be only short-lived as on the stroke of halftime Ludovick cleverly evaded two defenders on the edge of the box before coolly slotting the ball past the Khon Kaen goalkeeper.
Both teams had chances early in the game but it was Khon Kaen who were the first to make the breakthrough in the 17th minute. From a left wing corner Rermrat saw his bullet header knocked onto the woodwork by Narit and when the ball dropped back into the six yard area Lao forward Saiwut was fastest to react to volley the ball into the back of the net.
United pressed hard for an equalizer and it eventually came from a touch of class by Ludovick Takam. The Cameroonian received the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area but with some nimble footwork and a silky turn he was able to completely bamboozle the two defenders marking him and finish clinically into the far corner of the net.
The second half saw fewer chances created but both teams could have snatched all three points at the death only to see golden opportunities missed by Ludovick for Pattaya and Sarawut Wichien for Khon Kaen.
Pattaya United striker Ludovick Takam (20) shields the ball from a Khon Kaen defender during the first half of their match at the Rajabhat University Stadium in Mahasarakham, Sunday, May 22. (Photo/Ariyawat Nuamsawat)
The draw leaves United in tenth place in the league table but with a number of clubs all within one or two points of each other the positions could easily change before the mid-season break.
United’s next Premier League match is on Sunday May 29 when the Dolphins play the big match of the season at home against Chonburi FC with the kick-off scheduled for 6 p.m. Chonburi had no game this past weekend so they will be eager to pick up maximum points against their close rivals in order to keep the pressure on Buriram at the top of the league.
| Thai Premier League Standings (May 23) | |||||||
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts. |
| Buriram PEA | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 36 |
| Chonburi FC | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 10 | 30 |
| Police United | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 26 |
| Bangkok Glass FC | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 14 | 22 |
| BEC Tero Sasana | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 13 | 22 |
| Muang Thong United | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 21 |
| Army United | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 11 | 19 |
| Osotspa M-150 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
| Si Sa Ket FC | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 17 |
| Pattaya United | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| SCG Samut Songkhram | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 16 |
| TOT SC | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 16 |
| Chiang Rai United | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 20 | 15 |
| Thai Port FC | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 14 |
| TTM FC Phichit | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 16 | 12 |
| Khon Kaen FC | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 29 | 12 |
| Sri Racha FC | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
| Navy FC | 14 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 27 | 9 |
| Results: Sri Racha FC 0, TOT SC 2; Chiang Rai United 1, Thai Port FC 1; Si Sa Ket FC 2, Osotspa M-150 2; BEC Tero Sasana 0, Bangkok Glass 2; Khon Kaen 1, Pattaya United 1; SCG Samut Songkhram 0, Buriram PEA 4; Navy FC 1, TTM FC Phichit 1. | |||||||
