Match Summary

Marcus Bent: Goal!

Everton opened the Premier League Asia Trophy tournament with a game against their hosts, the National Thai Under-23 side in front of a sparsely occupied national stadium.

No sign of Beattie, Davies or Carsley, who are all carrying injuries.  Meanwhile, among the subs for the Thais were Teeratep Winothai and Sompong Soleb, two of the three Chang trainees hand-selected last season to spend an edifying nine months with the Everton Youth Academy.  Only they ended up on an unnecessary educational course at Meyerscough College and went home after just three months, saying it was all a big disappointment and they were learning nothing!

Ah well... back to the game.  It didn't take long for Thailand to get off the mark, taking cruel and mischievous advantage of the searing heat and oppressive humidity with a great long-range shot from Pitchitpong that flew into the net past Nigel Martyn.

But Marcus Bent got one back just before half-time, slotting his shot past Kosin after picking up on a nice through-ball from Leon Osman.

Nothing much of note in the second half, and so it went to penalties, where Joseph Yobo had his very poor penalty kick saved and while Thais banged in every one of theirs to take the win 5-3 and a place in the final.   And Teeratep Winothai was one of the five successful Thai penalty takers.  Some retribution in there somewhere, one suspects.

Ah well... Everton will now face Manchester City in the play-off for third place at 11:45 BST on Saturday.

Michael Kenrick

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