Ansan clinch twelfth with a crucial victory over Mokpo

Joy for Ansan as they end their season on a high note with a hard fought victory in Mokpo. Hanoung Park was the difference as his towering second half header was enough to give Ansan all three points and usurp Mokpo to twelfth position in the National League.

Battle of the Bottom Three
Ansan traveled to Mokpo needing no less than a win to secure twelfth spot with Mokpo just a single point ahead. Defeat could have lead to Ansan finishing bottom of the table with Chungju hosting 7th placed Suwon City.

The weather held up nicely as the teams came out, Ansan lining up with Donghon Lee (7) as captain but without play-maker Jusang Lee. Mokpo dominated early proceedings with Ansan having nothing but a half chance in the opening stages. However they began to find their feet with Hanoung Park (30) having a great chance on the quarter of an hour mark, tussling in the box with the keeper, his shot rebounded to the feet of Injoon Jang (13) who was unlucky not to score, the ball bouncing off of the top netting of the goal. Sensing the danger, Mokpo looked to press their home advantage, and releasing a wonderful through ball, only for Jaepil Shin (8) to produce a life saving challenge to prevent the opportunity developing. Moments later, great work from Mokpo led to a thumping volley from a cross, the shot fired just wide with the keeper well beaten.
The chances started to come at both ends as a rasping shot from Hanbyeol Kim (14) was tipped over by Mokpo keeper, Sangwon Cho. Mokpo had a great chance from a free-kick on the half hour mark producing a wonderful save from Ansan Keeper Jinung Kang (21). Ansan wingers, Hanbyeol and Injoon harried the Mokpo full-backs mercilessly and Injoon had a great opportunity from a break only to see his shot sail weakly into the arms of the relieved Mokpo keeper. With half time approaching, the so far solid Jinung Kang threw the ball out across his box, causing a desperate run from the full-back to prevent the advancing Mokpo striker being gifted a goal. A let-off for Ansan and they reached half time with the scores level at nil-nil. Mokpo had been the better for the first half but the watching fans had been treated to a lively scrappy affair at the Mokpo Football Centre.

The second half had barely begun when Ansan slipped a wonderful through ball to Hanoung Park who, one-on-one with the keeper, fired a lame shot that was easily dealt. The ensuing five minutes were utterly dominated by Ansan and finally they got their breakthrough. A wonderful cross from Hanbyeol Kim on the right was met by the rising Hanoung Park who smashed the ball home with his head to the rapturous cheers of the visiting fans. The goal, registered on the fifty-third minute took Ansan up to twelfth in the league. Mokpo were quick to respond, asserting pressure and producing some dangerous shooting opportunities, although Jinung Kang looked fairly untroubled. With twenty minutes left on the clock, Mokpo fired in a deadly free-kick that was palmed wonderfully away by Kang. Minutes later, as Mokpo continued to tighten the screw, skipper Donghon Lee, already on a yellow card, lunged in ridiculously from behind. It certainly looked like a yellow, if not a straight red, but the referee waved it away and Ansan survived with all eleven men intact.
Mokpo began to look more and more frustrated in their search for an equaliser and Ansan opted to play on the break, with their wide men pushing the offside trap and the midfield snuffing the pace out of the game, particularly with some tough challenges from Jaepil Shin. The strategy almost paid off as the seconds ticked down and on ninety minutes Ansan made a break-out from a Mokpo free kick, with Donghon Lee in on goal but firing straight across. The response from Mokpo was to put Ansan hearts firmly in their mouths as, now deep into injury time, a seemingly goal-bound shot with Jinung Kang stranded, crashed against the crossbar. The ensuing scramble in the box saw shot after shot deflected off Ansan bodies before the Ansan keeper managed to put two hands on the ball. The resultant kick was met with the referee blowing up for full-time and the cheers of the Ansan traveling support.

Final league table

With Chungju beating Suwon City, just two points separated the bottom three, but, in this end of season mini-tournament to not be the National League's worst team 2011, Ansan came out on top.

David Speirs @ Mokpo Football Centre	Man of the Match - Hanbyeol Kim
	"Looked the most dangerous Ansan player going forward and it was his pinpoint cross that set up the deciding goal."