After a fairly low-key first-half where Theerathon had given Buriram the lead with a wonderful strike, the game sprung to life in an exciting second-half. Suphanburi scored twice and looked on course for a famous victory before Anon came to the rescue.
Buriram were without the influential Korawit and started with Kaio and Yong up front. They almost took an early lead when Anawin sent a long throw into the box for Yong to head back ,only for Seul-Ki to send his header over the bar.
The home side were inches away in the ninth minute when Kaio let fly from thirtry yards but the ball crashed against the upright with the keeper nowhere. After that, Buriram created little in the way of clear-cut chances. They had plenty of possesion but lacked a cutting-edge and hit too many long balls up to Kaio.
On the half-hour mark Yong made progress through the left-channel but shot into the side-netting from an impossible angle. Shortly after, the keeper flapped at a right-wing Theerathon corner but the ball was scrambled away. The best move of the half came in the thirty-fifth minute when Suchao and Kaio combined to allow Anawin to cross for Seul-Ki but he headed wide.
Five minutes from the interval Buriram made the breakthrough when Anawin crossed from the right and Yong tried a ridiculous overhead kick. Fortunately, he missed the ball completely and it fell for Theerathon in the left of the box who sent a thunderous shot ripping into the net.
It really was a quality strike which gave the keeper no chance whatsoever. A minute later it should have been two when Anawin sent a lovely cross in from the right only for Yong to miss his kick. A bad miss. Suchao then received a yellow card for a rash challenge near the half-way line.
Suphanburi brought on former Buriram favourite Carmelo for the second-half and he immediately had a half-chance but the ball ran away from him as he tried to get a shot in. Siwarak then came out smartly to block with his body after a long ball had split the Buriram defence.
Suphanburi were certainly showing more ambition and equalized in the fifty-third minute. The Buriram defence failed to clear a left-wing free kick and the ball fell for Prat to shoot on the turn past a helpless Siwarak. However, Buriram had a good chance to regain the lead a minute later.
Great work by Anawin on the right-wing allowed him to cross for the unmarked Yong but his attempt to control the ball was poor and the chance was gone.Buriram then replaced the disappointing Yong with Weslley in the fifty-seventh minute and he almost made an immediate impact, just failing to get on the end of a Seul-Ki through ball.
Anawin was replaced by Narubadin in the sixty-third minute which was a little surprising as Anawin had put over a number of good crosses. A minute later Weslley chased a long ball down the left and sent over a hard,low cross which the keeper failed to hold but no-one was on hand to put away the rebound.
Buriram were pressing hard now and Theerathon picked up a loose ball thirty-five yards out before hammering in a great shot which the keeper superbly turned round the post, diving low to his left. Then out of the blue, Buriram fell behind in the sixty-eighth minute.
Nattapol’s half-hearted challenge on the left saw the ball rebound off the Suphanburi player, leaving him with a free run on goal. Siwarak came out quickly but just clipped his ankle and the referee rightly awarded a penalty and issued Siwarak with a yellow card. Jakkaphan made no mistake from the spot.
In the seventy-third minute Buriram brought on Anon for Jakkaphan and five minutes later the youngster brought Buriram level. Weslley ran at the retreating Suphanburi defence on the left-flank and got to the byline before crossing low for Anon to find the net with a confident,low finish.
He almost put Buriram ahead shortly after when Tunez headed a free-kick back to him but his sweetly struck low shot flashed narrowly wide. It was now all Buriram and Kaio collected the ball on the right before cutting inside and arrowing a shot towards the far-corner but the keeper flung himself to his right and somehow managed to claw the ball away.
Five minutes from time Theerathon took exception to a tackle and as the two players squared up to each other Theerathon appeared to make contact with his opponent’s face with his head. He was extremely fortunate to receive only a yellow card, the referee perhaps being lenient because of the Suphanburi player’s theatricals.
The referee did get his red card out in stoppage time after issuing a second yellow to a visiting player following a handball. So Buriram had to settle for a share of the spoils in a game they probably deserved to win. Weslley deserves a starting place as his electrifying pace and direct running caused no end of problems.
Anon has also impressed every time he has come on and also deserves an extended run in the team. Seul-Ki is a pale shadow of the player who was dictating games from the midfield last season and it is to be hoped he regains his form soon. Buriram need a confident display at Pattaya on Saturday to get back to winning ways.