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BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -A makeshift Thailand Premier League XI beat an experimental Manchester City team 3-1 in a friendly match Saturday.

The City team, touring Thailand to capitalize on interest created by the English club's takeover by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was absent most of its regular players, with Martin Petrov, Darius Vassell, Dietmar Hamann and Geovanni the only regular first teamers in the starting lineup.

The match attracted an estimated crowd of 25,000, only half filling Bangkok's Rajamangala Stadium, with the match played at dusk, avoiding a clash with the English F.A. Cup final to be played in the evening Thai time.

Manchester City, fielding Thai players Suree Sukha, Teerasil Dangda and Kiatprawut Saiwaew who have not seen first team action since joining the club in the Thaksin takeover, took the lead in the 22nd minute through Ecuadorean striker Felipe Caicedo.

The Thai selection, which was missing several players who were representing their universities in a conflicting match as well as the three Thais on the opposite team, equalized in the 37th minute through Brazilian forward Ney Fabiano, who represents Asian Champions League contestant Chonburi.

Veteran midfielder Tawan Sripan, of BEC Tero Sasana, put the Thai team ahead in the 44th minute.

Lax marking from a freekick saw substitute Tana Chanabat head home the third goal in the 73rd minute.

We had a pretty good goal ruled out too it seems. Great for the youth players to go on a first team tour and play with the like of Hamann and Petrov. It can only do them good and also worth having a look at the young Thai players we have.

I don't think the timing of the tour is great, but we're there so we ought to make the most of it.

[color="DarkSlateBlue"]Blues rue missed chances
17/05/2008 14:30
Thai League All-Star XI 3-1 Manchester City

Sunday May 17, 2008, 5pm (local time)
Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok - Att: 25,000

Teams:

All-Stars:
Taveekul (Tedsungnen 46), Samakrat, Jitsawad (Samana 46), Vachiraban (Nutnum 46), Siriwong, Phanrit (Pona 78), Inthasen (Watthana 46), Chaikamdee (Chanabut 46), Sripan (Sangsanoi 84), Vivatchaichok, Oliviera.

unused subs: Phetphun, Sunthornphit, Saenkla, Thonkanya, , Phukhom, Nakool.

City:
Schmeichel, Logan (Trippier 46), Garrido (McGivern 75), Mee (Williamson 46), Sun (Saiwaew 64), Vassell (Etuhu 46), Geovanni (Dangda 64), Hamann (c) (Tutte 75), Petrov, Caicedo (Sukka 64), Bojinov (D.Ball 46).

unused subs: Martin.

Goals: 0-1 Caicedo 22, 1-1 Oliviera 37, 2-1 Sripan 44, 3-1 Chanabut 73

First chance for the Blues came on four minutes. Bojinov’s flick released Petrov who stood up a cross to the far post and Vassell was just beaten to the header. From the resulting corner Bojinov’s glancing header flew over.

After 10 minutes Petrov again looked for Vassell with a chipped cross, this time the former England man looked to be pulled back by a Thai defender, no penalty given though.

A minute later City were almost a goal behind. A dubious offside wasn’t given and Chaikamdee ran clear – Kasper Schmeichel though did well to narrow the angle and the striker could only place it wide.

After 14 minutes, Petrov again started a flowing move involving Caicedo and Vassell, who’s shot drew ‘ooh’s’ from the noisy crowd.

Petrov, by far and away the stand out player, could have broken the deadlock on 18 minutes as he raced around the keeper. But a combination of a heavy first touch and difficult pitch saw the Bulgarian take it too wide before shooting at the keeper.

The Blues didn’t have to wait too much longer for the opener as Felipe Caicedo opened his first team scoring account after 22 minutes.

Once again Petrov was the architect of the move. His cross was cleverly knock-downed by Darius Vassell and the Ecuadorian proved a cool left-footed finish from 10-yards out.

The heat and humidity meant the game slowed up somewhat after the goal, but on 37 minutes the All-Star team pulled level. Brazilian striker Oliviera lifted the ball over Schmeichel from close range after he latched on to a throughball.

Then just a minute before the break the Thai All-Stars took the lead. Captain Tawan Sripan rode a challenge from Ben Mee on the edge of the box before rounding Schmeichel and tapping home from six-yards.

Sven-Goran Eriksson made four changes at the break with David Ball, Kelvin Etuhu, Sam Williamson and Kieran Trippier coming on.

City dominated the early stages of the second half with Kelvin Etuhu making a bright start down the right wing.

Just after the hour mark Trippier put in a great ball from the right for Caicedo to rise well and head the ball off the bar before it was put behind for a corner.

There were loud cheers and applause on 64 minutes as City’s three Thai players came off the bench and on to the pitch in a triple change. Teerasil Dangda took his place up front with David Ball. Suree Sukka played at right back and Kiatprawut Saiwaew came on at centre back.

On 73 minutes the home team made it 3-1 as Chanabut headed into the corner of the net from about six-yards after a free-kick from the right.

City thought they were back in it on 82 minutes but again the officials came down on the side of the hosts. Dangda met Petrov’s corner with a fine header but the referee inexplicably ruled out the goal.

The game played itself out to a satisfactory conclusion for the Thai side - but not so the Blues - losing 3-1 in Bangkok.

Afterwards, Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson told mcfc.co.uk: "It was a good game and we create many, many opportunities. We hit the bar, had a perfectly good goal disallowed, but that happens sometimes.

"I was very impressed with the young lads that are here with us from the Academy. They all did very well as did the three Thai players who came of for us.

"I feel for young Dangda who had what we thought was a good goal ruled out, but those players and the rest of the squad did well, particularly dealing with the conditions."

Leon Collins
[/color]

Nice to see the young guns getting a game.

True.

Did anyone of you watch the game?

is there any highlights of the game because I didn't watch it. I tried to find the highlights by Google but I couldn't find anything .

I really want to see how did the young players did on this game.