Pattaya United’s fight against relegation took another blow last weekend when they were on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller against Thai Army FC.
United’s chances of securing an unlikely on the road victory looked to be all but over inside the opening half hour last Sunday as the hosts took a commanding 2-0 lead at the Thai Army Sports Stadium in Bangkok. Brazilian Aron da Silva opened the scoring with a spectacular 25 yard effort in the 19th minute and another of Army’s foreign imports, Germany’s Björn Lindemann, doubled the lead 10 minutes later with an equally audacious free-kick.
Going into the break two goals down, United could have been forgiven if they had gone into damage limitation mode but they came out for the second half a different team and got a foothold back into the game on the hour mark as Obinna Darlington nodded home a pinpoint right wing cross from Jeera Jarernsuk.
With time ticking down, United launched an all out assault on the Army goal and they got their just rewards as Russian midfielder Rodion Dyachenko fired in a fine equalizer from the edge of the area in the 83rd minute.
Unfortunately for United and their travelling fans their joy was to be short-lived as Army scored a decisive third goal just 2 minutes later when Lindemann’s free-kick appeared to be turned into his own net by a Pattaya defender under pressure from Army’s Jung Myung-Oh.
This time there was to be no further come-back from United and the final whistle sounded soon after to consign them to their fifteenth defeat of the season.
The only bright points for United last weekend were the defeats suffered by relegation rivals Samut Songkhram against Suphanburi and Ratchaburi’s 4-2 loss to Chonburi. However, unless United can put a run of results together and pick up some points, the form of the teams above them in the table would seem to be irrelevant.
Pattaya United’s next match is on Sunday August 11 away at fellow strugglers Ratchaburi.
| Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Pts. |
| Buriram United | 19 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 47 |
| Muang Thong United | 19 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 44 |
| Chonburi | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 38 |
| Suphanburi | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 36 |
| Army United | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| BEC Tero Sasana | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 28 |
| Osotspa | 19 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 28 |
| Songkhla United | 20 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -2 | 27 |
| Bangkok Glass | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | -4 | 26 |
| Police United | 20 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 25 |
| TOT | 19 | 6 | 6 | 7 | -9 | 24 |
| Chainat | 19 | 5 | 7 | 7 | -1 | 22 |
| Bangkok United | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | -14 | 17 |
| Ratchaburi | 19 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -6 | 16 |
| Chiangrai United | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | -10 | 14 |
| Samut Songkhram | 19 | 2 | 7 | 10 | -12 | 13 |
| Pattaya United | 19 | 3 | 1 | 15 | -23 | 10 |
| Sisaket | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 1 |
| Results: Songkhla United 0 – 2 Muang Thong United, Buriram United PSTP Sisaket, BEC Tero Sasana 1 – 1 Bangkok United, Chiangrai United 2 – 1 Chainat, Police United 5 – 0 Bangkok Glass, Army United 3 – 2 Pattaya United, Samut Songkhram 1 – 3 Suphanburi, Osotspa 4 – 0 TOT, Chonburi 4 – 2 Ratchaburi. | ||||||
