Ayutthaya claimed a narrow 2:1 victory over Ratchaburi in the opening round of the Thai League 1 regular season on Saturday. The hosts hit first through Hwang Hyun-Soo and held on after Ewerton secured the points late on. To be fair, the away side pushed back hard after falling behind.
Hwang opened the scoring in the eighth minute, catching Ratchaburi off guard. Willen Mota picked up a yellow card for the visitors soon after, and the game settled into a rhythm. Bruno Mendes was cautioned for Ratchaburi in the fortieth, and T. Suengchitthawon equalised for the hosts just before the break.
The second half saw both managers reshuffle their options. S. van Wermeskerken came on for Ayutthaya early in the half, followed by Lucas Dias and E. Panya. By then the visitors were trying to find a way back into the game. Ewerton scored the winner in the eighty-first and was immediately substituted, a tactical move that put the game to bed early.
Ratchaburi dominated possession at sixty per cent and earned ten corners compared to three. They registered six shots on target but could only convert one, while Ayutthaya took seven on target and hit a higher accuracy rate. The statistics suggest the hosts were more ruthless in front of goal.
Ayutthaya sit fifth after one win from one match, while Ratchaburi occupy tenth place with nothing to show from their first outing. The result ends a mixed period for the visitors, who have hit a wall in recent fixtures. The hosts now have momentum heading into the next round.
