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RIS FC sent a strong signal of their intent to finish at the top with an emphatic 3-1 win over new boys Bangkok Fusion at the mosquito infested Vichupra Football Club pitch. The evening promised to be a disaster for the whipping boys of the Bangkok Premier League as kick-off time neared with some of the Bangkok Fusion boys still hopelessly lost in the dimly light back sois of Ram Intra.
For Bangkok Fusion, after having suffered huge loses in their past three matches, it seemed that another massive loss against the league leaders was in store for them. So Bangkok Fusion decided to go for broke and play a scrappy 4-3-3 in place of their usual scrappy 4-5-1. And as promised, RIS gave the Fusion boys quite a fright when in the opening moments of the match a thundering placed shot from just outside the penalty area rattled the crossbar of the Fusion goal. RIS’s superiority in attack was clear when in the 10th minute Somkiat Charitpun powered a low shot past the goalkeeper to put RIS up 1-0. Neat passes and great runs by the RIS team created numerous chances for them to wrap up the game but last minute tackles from a committed and battling Fusion defense and the heroics by the young Fusion goalkeeper kept the score1-0 at the break.
RIS came in at the second half determined to make up for missed chances and in the 46th minute Wittawat Jaotatit’s shot found the back of the net, despite calls for offside, leaving it clear as to who was in control of the game. When Somkiat Charitpun put the result of the match beyond doubt with another powerful effort in the 54th minute all that seemed left was to pack up and head for home. But strangely, Bangkok Fusion seemed happy with the 3-0 score line and responded by enthusiastically probing the RIS defense with some through balls and runs down the wings. Their efforts paid off in the last few minutes when Bangkok Fusion’s Jim Kettong broke through the left flank and to his utter surprise found himself face to face with the RIS goalkeeper. Jim Kettong promptly misfired from point blank range (although Jim said he would like to think of it as a deliberate, unselfish pass) and sent the ball spinning into the path of Julien Ferrandon. The Frenchman made no mistake slamming the ball in from 6 inches to the delight of his wife and young daughter who had come to watch him make a fool of himself.
The referee mercifully blew his whistle as Bangkok Fusion took to the field in celebration much to the amusement of the RIS players. It is rumored that Bangkok Fusion will now start letting in an average of three goals a week instead of the usual eight goals. Such ambition ought to be rewarded.
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