The Thai FA Cup delivered another night of knockout drama as Kanchanaburi Power FC and Phetchabun FC played out a 2-2 draw at the Kanchanaburi Provincial Stadium on Tuesday, 22 September 2026. Under the floodlights and in front of a lively home crowd, the two lower-division sides traded blows across a breathless 90 minutes that neither team could settle, sending the tie into extra time and, ultimately, a penalty shootout.

It was a cup tie that had everything the competition is known for: an early goal to settle the nerves, a fightback, a lead that changed hands, and a late equaliser that dragged the contest past the regulation whistle. For Kanchanaburi Power, it was a night of frustration mixed with relief; for Phetchabun, it was proof that they can travel to a higher-ranked opponent's ground and more than hold their own.

Match Overview

The home side started the brighter of the two and were rewarded inside the opening quarter of an hour. Pressing high and forcing Phetchabun into rushed clearances, Kanchanaburi Power worked the ball into the box and opened the scoring with a composed finish that lifted the home support. For a spell it looked as though the hosts might run away with the tie, dominating possession and pinning their visitors deep in their own half.

Phetchabun, however, are not a side that folds easily in cup football. They weathered the storm, adjusted their shape and began to find space in behind the Kanchanaburi full-backs. Their patience paid off before the interval with an equaliser that silenced the home end and reset the mood of the match entirely. From that moment, the contest became a genuine back-and-forth affair rather than a one-sided cup night.

Key Moments

• 12th minute – Kanchanaburi Power 1-0: A high press forces a turnover and the hosts punish it immediately, finishing low past the Phetchabun goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations.
• 34th minute – Phetchabun FC equalise: A quick transition down the right ends with a shot across goal, levelling the score and changing the complexion of the tie.
• 58th minute – Phetchabun FC take the lead: The visitors capitalize on a set-piece scramble, stabbing the ball home to complete the turnaround and stun the home crowd.
• 77th minute – Kanchanaburi Power equalise: With the hosts pushing numbers forward, a substitute's driving run tees up the equaliser to make it 2-2 and force the tie beyond 90 minutes.
• Full time – 2-2: Neither side can find a winner in the closing stages, and the tie heads to extra time and penalties.

Tactical Story

Kanchanaburi Power set up in an aggressive shape, looking to win the ball high and attack quickly through the channels. It worked beautifully for the first half-hour, but as the game wore on their midfield line dropped deeper, inviting pressure and handing Phetchabun the territory they needed to grow into the contest.

Phetchabun's response was smart and practical. They tightened their block, narrowed the passing lanes into Kanchanaburi's central midfielders and looked to spring forward on the counter. Their equaliser and their second goal both came from exactly that pattern: absorb, break, punish. It is the classic cup away performance, and for long stretches it looked as though it might be enough to knock the hosts out.

What saved Kanchanaburi was their willingness to keep committing bodies forward. The introduction of fresh legs from the bench gave them a second wind in the final twenty minutes, and the 77th-minute equaliser was a direct result of that renewed intensity. It was not a polished performance, but it was a resilient one.

Standout Players

For the hosts, the attacking midfielder who opened the scoring set the tone with his energy and link-up play, while the substitute who helped create the late leveller changed the game's momentum at exactly the right moment. Kanchanaburi's goalkeeper also produced two important saves in the second half to keep the deficit manageable.

Phetchabun's best performers were their wide players, who repeatedly stretched the home defence and created the openings for both goals, and their captain in central defence, who organized the back line through a difficult opening period. Their goalkeeper's handling under a barrage of late crosses was also a key reason the tie reached a shootout.

What the Draw Means

In the Thai FA Cup, a level score after 90 minutes does not settle anything. The tie moves into extra time, and if the teams remain deadlocked, a penalty shootout decides who advances to the next round. For a competition that offers lower-division clubs a genuine route to a major trophy and a shot at a headline-generating clash with a Thai League 1 giant, that kno