CHINA 3:1 THAILAND (ASIAN GAMES)

11 MAY 2002 18:45 TST , KUNMING CHINA

Report by: AFP.

China beats Thailand in World Cup warm up 3-1

Soccer minnows Thailand Saturday gave China's World Cup 2002 team a scare taking a 1-0 lead midway thru the second half of a World Cup warm up and spurring the home team to mount a furious come back behind a hat trick by striker Su Maozheng.
Su began his barrage on goal in the 78th minute when he headed home a Wu Chengying cross from the far left side and beyond the outstretched arms of Thai goalie Kittisak Rawangpa.
Two minutes later Su struck again, this time taking a headed cross from forward Zhang Yuning and slotting the goal from just right of the mouth.
"We started the game out too relaxed, but when they scored their goal we knew we had to take them to task," an elated Su said following the match.
Manit Noyvach scored Thailand's only goal in the 63rd minute after he took control of a length of the field goal kick from Kittisak and eluded Chinese defender Zhang Enhua who tripped and fell over his own feet.
Manit then took the ball inside the left side of the penalty area and fired a shot between the legs of China's last defender Du Wei as goalie Ou Chuliang arrived too late to close the gap.
The Chinese win was largely unimpressive before Su's final barrage of goals, with Thailand's fiesty defense continually disrupting the Chinese side in midfield as it tried to mount its attack.
Chinese coach Bora Milutinovic earlier pledged to urge his players to make the best of the warm-up game against the Thailand, which was a last-minute replacement for the World Cup bound Nigerian Flying Eagles.
Thailand stepped in at just 48 hours notice when Nigeria pulled out following the death of the country's sports minister in an air crash last weekend.