UHT Vana Nava Hua Hin City FC 2015

[Midsman]

What time does the bus leave Saturday please?

Do I have to book or just turn up?

Regards for any information

[Geordie Dancer]

Think the buses are leaving from the temple in the centre of town at 2pm. Best if you call Bay on 0812526429 to book a seat and confirm the departure time.

[bsdk1960]

anyone have the coordinates for today or a map ?,thanks

[Big Boy]

anyone have the coordinates for today or a map ?,thanks

13 degrees 32' 48.61 N; 100 degrees 15' 50.31 E looks good.

[bsdk1960]

thank you very much BB,hope we gonna get a great game and a solid win

[Big Boy]

I hope so too. I hope its the right location - stadium looks same as the one we trained on yesterday (very small covered are, but seating on both sides.

Can't see if it's painted in Claret & Blue from Google Earth.

[Big Boy]

Samut Sakhon 0 - 1 UHT Vana Nava Hua Hin City

Too late to write a report now - maybe tomorrow morning if I have time, or nobody beats me to it.

Fantastic game, which we had to win.

[Big Boy]

And the video highlights from yesterday

[Big Boy]

OK, nobody's beat me to it, yet , so here goes.

A lot of things were not good yesterday, but the football was superb.

Samut Sakhon should have been about 90 minutes away, so I was thinking we were being over cautious leaving Hua Hin 4 hours before kick off. The bus was basically of the same ilk as the Petchaburi/Pranburi orange buses, but with a flash cartoon picture on the side. It was not comfortable, and we spotted a few wheel nuts missing (6). However, the orange buses can turn quite a decent speed. The bus took over 3 hours getting there, and just under 3 hours on the way back - not good.

The ground has to be amongst the worst I've visited in Thailand. I tried sitting/standing in several places, but unless I was going to create an obstruction myself, no matter where I tried I could not see all of the pitch.

The important bit (the football) was excellent. We had quite a few new faces playing. The team were wearing Hua Hin kits, but that's where Hua Hin City recognition ended. Biggest disappointment for me is that neither Brazilian started (Andre didn't even make the bench due to what looked a nasty sore on his upper thigh). Pu, who in my opinion has been the most impressive newcomer this season wasn't there either. I was really confused when C. Jaewon came on in the second half - he was wearing No. 1 on his back. I've never seen an outfield player anywhere in the world wear No.1, and my brain was thinking he was going to replace Annop Chaisiri in goal.

The Samut Sakhon side was very good and dominated the first half, with hua Hin managing some very good counter attacks. SK were intercepting ball after ball by Hua Hin. I actually chuckled to myself during the first half, "Thank God Geordie Dancer didn't get his wish and grant us 10 Michael Byrnes." I don't remember one of his usually very accurate passes finding its man in the first half. Thankfully, he had a better second half.

Outstanding at the back for me was Sakda, who dominated in the air. Between the sticks Annop Chaisiri was having his first real test since his arrival. He did everything he was called upon to do, including saving a last minute penalty, which if you study the video footage above was no more than a dive. Of course, we now understand that at this level all referees are .

I was pleased that the first half ended with honours even, but SK were no mugs - they weren't run away leaders for nothing.

The second half started better, and when Lucas came on to replace an injured Jonata, the game changed. You could immediately see Samut Sakhon were afraid of him, and the fouling game started right away (it's such a shame that fouling is many Thai teams only answer to our Brazilians). Hua Hin were now starting to take control. Dusit's goal from a corner was very well controlled and well taken.

The atmosphere was electric, and it was such a shame when the awarded a penalty. The Hua Hin support were devastated. The penalty was saved, and Hua Hin move on in their quest for a Champions League place.

Next week's goal fest will be away to Globlex on 19 Jul'15, 16:00 KO.

Congratulation to ste860 for the way he caught Michael Byrne's shirt as he threw it into the crowd - maybe a potential new keeper

[Davy B]

BB, Who are Sakon Nakon? I thought it was Samut Sakhon we played.

[Big Boy Edit] Hopefully corrected the error

[Sabai Sabai]

Well yesterday was such an important game, I'd stop short of quite calling it a 'must win' because had we not won, I'd still have had aspirations of finishing 2nd, which would of course get us exactly the same outcome as finishing top.... A place in the Champions League. However getting the win was a fantastic result for us, next weekend I believe Samut Sakhon play Seemok(the top 2) so things could be extremely tight between the top 3 teams by this time next weekend.

With regards the journey, I took a bit of a chance by instead of driving from Palm Hills north of town all the way into town in plenty time to get picked up at the temple, only to then have to pass Palm Hills again on the way back out on the bus, I arranged to be picked up at Palm Hills. Sure enough, I was picked up by a nice big bus at Palm Hills on it's way past with plenty spaces still available for me to sit in. I reckon that saved me at least an extra hour on my journey time, probably more actually.

Perhaps that's why I didn't find the journey time too bad, ok Samut Sakhon is this side of Bangkok from Hua Hin but it's not really all that far from Bangkok so I thought we made reasonable, if not great time. The bus itself was OK, not as comfortable as some of the luxury minivans that sometimes take us on our journies but it was fine. Add to that, it was of course free! So, I for one am definitely not complaining. I'm just glad the game wasn't being played in Sakhon Nakhon....... That's out past Udon Thani, very close to Laos.... That would have been a long journey!

I had taken a seat just in front of GD on the bus and we were discussing potential team line ups etc on the way to the game, so by the time we got there we were quite intrigued to see who had made it. Upon taking our seats, realised a couple of the new guys had made it, and as BB said, neither of the Brazilians playing. Actually as it turned out Andre was suspended yesterday so couldn't play and after last week's fairly lackluster performance, perhaps dropping Lucas to the bench was just to give him a kick and say your place is no longer guaranteed. I believe Pu had been struggling with a knock all week, so I think he was injured rather than dropped.

Once the game got underway, Hua Hin dominated..... For about 4 minutes! We were admittedly 2nd best throughout the remainder of the first half. The new striker(no.38?) was far too isolated up top on his own for me. The coach seems determined, almost stubborn about his system and playing a 4-3-2-1, but I felt we sat too deep in first half, yes we were away from home to the league leaders and couldn't go totally gungho but I felt we had to commit more players forward and have a go.

Goalless at half time then, they do say it's a game of 2 halves though, and that was certainly the case yesterday. I thought we were much improved in the 2nd half and were the better team. I think the wind was more a factor than it seemed from our seats, from where we were sitting there was hardly much of a breeze but all the flags were being fairly blown about the whole game and it was definitely a case of Samut Sakhon dominating the 1st half with the wind behind them and then Hua Hin dominating the 2nd with the wind behind us. When we made the breakthrough it was no less than we deserved.

After that Lucas, who did play well when he came on(perhaps the boot up the backside worked?), was unlucky not to make it 2 nil towards the end of the game when he managed to lob the ball over the keeper goalwards but their defender managed to get back and make an excellent clearence off the line.

Had that went in there would have been no way back for the opposition, but it didn't and the referee awarded them a lifeline with a 93rd minute penalty award. Which as BB has already stated was a dive. Justice was done though when the keeper made a great save and the rebound was lashed over, from then it was party time for the Hua Hin support with that celebrated just as much, if not more than the goal itself!

Of the new guys that featured for the 1st time yesterday, no.34 in the centre of the park impressed me the most, can pick a pass, gets stuck in making tackles(although with that ref, every tackle was a foul!) and on top of that he always seemed to make himself available to receive a pass, covered a lot of ground and put in a great shift.

Difficult to choose a star man yesterday, it was a good team performance in the 2nd half. I still don't believe this new team has settled properly yet and I think we will most likely keep improving every week, which makes the result all the more impressive yesterday.

It really has opened the league right up for us now.... Don't want to get carried away but ideally next week a draw between the top 2 coupled with a win for Hua Hin could see us potentially leapfrog Seemok into 2nd and be only 2 points off top. Will be interesting to see Seemok's result this afternoon when they travel to Tonburi.

[Big Boy]

BB, Who are Sakon Nakon? I thought it was Samut Sakhon we played.

That's what 6 hours on the bus from hell does to you. Sat on beach at moment - will correct when home.

[Sabai Sabai]

BB, Who are Sakon Nakon? I thought it was Samut Sakhon we played.

That's what 6 hours on the bus from hell does to you. Sat on beach at moment - will correct when home.

You were calling them that when we played them at home recently as well..... What was your excuse then?!

[Sabai Sabai]

Will be interesting to see Seemok's result this afternoon when they travel to Tonburi.

Have just discovered it's being broadcast live on Siamsport Football, channel 694 on True Visions.

Still nil nil after first 10 minutes but Tonburi have started as the better team thus far.

[Big Boy]

BB, Who are Sakon Nakon? I thought it was Samut Sakhon we played.

That's what 6 hours on the bus from hell does to you. Sat on beach at moment - will correct when home.

You were calling them that when we played them at home recently as well..... What was your excuse then?!

Was I really? It must have been in anticipation of that bus