Mong Kok Stadium witnessed a shocking second-half collapse as Eastern suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat against Ratchaburi in their AFC Champions League 2 Group F encounter on Wednesday. The loss eliminates the Hong Kong side from the competition with two matches still to play.

The first half offered a glimmer of hope for Eastern, who appeared much improved compared to their previous 5-1 defeat against the same opponent just two weeks prior. In a drab opening 45 minutes, they arguably held a slight edge. However, the second half was a completely different story.

Ratchaburi's Scott Allardice broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, squeezing a shot past the Eastern defense. This opened the floodgates, as Ratchaburi went on to score six more goals in a devastating display of attacking football.

The goals came in quick succession, leaving Eastern with no response. Despite a promising first-half performance, the home side crumbled under pressure, unable to contain Ratchaburi's relentless attacks.

With this defeat, Eastern's chances of progressing in the AFC Champions League 2 are over. They remain at the bottom of Group F with zero points. Ratchaburi, on the other hand, revive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages with the emphatic victory.

Ratchaburi's coach, Worawut Srimaka, had urged his team to replicate their previous performance against Eastern. Despite acknowledging that Eastern would be motivated playing at home, he expressed confidence in his team's readiness and determination to win. His pre-match optimism proved well-founded as his team delivered a dominant second-half display.

Eastern will face Gamba Osaka in their next AFC Champions League 2 match on November 27th, while Ratchaburi will play Thep Xanh Nam Dinh on the same day.