Thailand staged an impressive late rally in Thursday's World Cup qualifying game in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) but it was ultimately a third Group B loss in a row as the Emiratis' last-gasp goal sealed a 3-1 victory.
It had looked as if Kiatisuk Senamuang's men could be in for a heavy defeat as Omar Abdulrahman inspired his side on their way to a 2-0 lead, with a brace from Ali Mabkhout.
But two attacking changes around the hour mark completely shifted the momentum of the game. Chanathip Songkrasin came alive and substitute Tana Chanabut pulled one back for Thailand. As the visitors pushed for the equaliser, the hosts broke clear and added a third through Ahmed Khalil with the last kick of the match.
While it was a disappointing result, the final third of the game will give the Thais encouragement going into next week's match against Iraq in Tehran.
Here are three things we saw in U.A.E. vs. Thailand:
1. Chanathip needs more attacking support
While the first hour of the game belonged to Abdulrahman, 'Messi J' had worked hard in the playmaker role for Thailand without reward.
The first time we saw him make real inroads into the UAE penalty area was in the 43rd minute when he sprinted to the byline before delivering a low cut-back. But Mohanad Saleh made a desperate clearance to prevent the ball reaching a Thai player in the six-yard box.
Kiatisuk responded to the loss of a second goal by bringing on striker Siroch Chatthong for wide man Kroekrit Thaweekarn, giving Chanathip extra support in attack. Siroch was quickly involved and his cut-back from the left found Chanathip, whose shot flew high and wide.
Thailand made their second substitution by introducing Tana for the ineffective Mongkol Tossakrai and the Port FC striker made an immediate impact. Chanathip released him down the left with a perfectly weighted pass and the forward guided the ball into the far corner with a low shot in the 65th minute.
And the Thais thought they had equalised in the 82nd minute before the strike was ruled out for offside. Chanathip danced through the home defence on the left and his low shot struck the far post before Tana tapped in the rebound. Replays showed that Tana had strayed offside when the shot was taken.
It took almost two thirds of the game to see the best of Chanathip and the excellent running of Tana and the selfless endeavour of Siroch helped create the angles and space for the 23-year-old to exploit.
There were two fine playmakers on the pitch last night. For the final 30 minutes, it was the Thai who shone brightest.
Diego Maradona -- arguably the greatest playmaker of them all -- must have been impressed by the talent on display as he watched from the VIP seats.
2. Back to drawing board for defence
Before the game, Kiatisuk had spoken of the need to stay focused and cut out lapses in concentration. Unfortunately, there was little evidence that the advice had been followed in a fraught first hour.
There seemed to be a lack of communication between defence and midfield which Abdulrahman to spray the passes and exploit their inefficiencies.
When the hosts took the lead in the 14th minute, Mohamed Fawzi's low cross from the right found Salem Saleh six yards out. The striker should have scored but got the slightest touch on the ball, deceiving Thai keeper Kawin Thamstachanan and leaving Mabkhout alone to help the ball over the line from a couple of yards out. While there was a crowd of Thai defenders in the box, it was two U.A.E. strikers who were first to the ball.
There was also a real let-off for the visitors in the 26th minute when a cross from the left found Mabkhout all alone 10 yards from goal. The striker got power in his header but it came back off the bar, with the Thai defence static. It was similar to Japan's opening goal in Bangkok last month when Genki Haraguchi was given the freedom of the city to line up his header.
There was a disastrous start to the second half for the visitors as the U.A.E. made it 2-0 in the 47th minute. Abdulrahman picked up the ball just inside the Thai half and, seemingly unsighted, played a glorious ball into the path of Mabkhout who had run clear. The striker finished decisively with a powerful shot high into the net.
While the pass from Abdulrahman was something special, there was a lack of attention to Mabkhout's run, allowing the striker to run clear.
As a unit, the Thai defence still needs much work. Too often, the defenders are caught ball watching and failing to spot the dangerous movement of their opponents.
3. Out with the old?
Kiatisuk's renowned loyalty to his players may be beginning to have a negative impact on the team as two old favourites underperformed again.
Wide men Mongkol and Kroekrit have often played well at international level, despite indifferent form at club level. However, these performances have generally come against weaker opposition than the War Elephants are now facing.
The Thais almost took the lead in the 11th minute when Kroekrit's low cross from the left was diverted wide by Mohanad Saleh at full stretch, with Mongkol set to tap in at the far post. Apart from this, however, the wide men offered very little.
It was the same story in Saudi Arabia last month, with Mongkol in particular unable to hold onto the ball. The Chiang Rai United winger was subsequently dropped for the tie with Japan but was back in the starting line-up against the U.A.E.
It was no coincidence that Thailand's performance in the U.A.E. suddenly improved when the energy and movement of Tana and Siroch showed just what they had been missing.
Kiatisuk must now think long and hard about his selection for Tuesday's game against Iraq, giving close consideration to what wasn't working for the first hour and what worked so well in the final 30 minutes.