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Ampen netted in the 31st and 36th minutes before completing his treble in the first minute of first half stoppage time as Kevin Muscat’s side picked up all three points against the Thai League 1 side.
Wu Lei was also on target for the visitors in the 51st minute before a double from substitute Njiva Rakotoharimalala gave Ratchaburi brief hope of a comeback prior to Jaume Grau’s fifth four minutes from time.
Njiva completed his hat-trick and Ekanit Panya scored from close range in a chaotic finish to the match with Leonardo netting his side’s sixth in the 96th minute to put the finally put the result beyond doubt.
Ampen had threatened the Ratchaburi defence inside the opening three minutes, his low centre from the left cleared off the goal-line before the home side asserted themselves at the other end.
Jonathan Khemdee headed over the bar in the fourth minute and six minutes later should have scored from close range, only to steer his shot wide from inside the six-yard box. Rafael Bilu and Bruno Mendes then saw attempts kept out by Yan Junling.
It was against the run of play that Shanghai Port took the lead, Ampen reacting quickest when the Ratchaburi defence failed to clear a ball into the penalty area and the Ghanaian clipped the ball into the bottom corner for the opener.
Five minutes later he had doubled his side’s advantage, receiving possession inside the area from Wu Lei on the right and, after his first touch took him past Khemdee, Ampen thumped his shot into the roof of the net.
There was more to come in the first minute of stoppage time when Jaume Grau launched his pass forward and Ampen’s first touch controlled the ball in mid-air before rounding Kampon Phatomakkakul and stroking home his right-foot shot.
MD1: Ratchaburi FC (THA) v Shanghai Port FC (CHN)
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Mendes hit the base of Yan’s left post with the goalkeeper well beaten in the second minute of the second half but by the 51st minute the Chinese side were further ahead.
Ampen released Yue Xin down the left flank and he scampered forward to deliver an inviting cross in front of Wu Lei and he threw himself at the ball to head decisively past Kampon.
Ratchaburi pulled one back in the 71st minute when substitutes Chotipat Poomkaew and Njiva combined inside the penalty area, with Chotipat’s instinctive back-heel setting up the Madagascar international to shoot into the bottom corner.
Yan then palmed Ekanit Panya’s shot onto the post to prevent a second for Ratchaburi but, with six minutes remaining Njiva nodded in a second from close range as the Port defence failed to clear Jonathan Viera’s corner.
Grau thought he had snuffed out any chance of a Ratchaburi resurgence when he steered his shot into the home goal but Njiva completed his hat trick in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Ekanit scored seconds later but Leonardo’s goal finally killed off the hosts.
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