Pompey beat Fulham and Liverpool reach the Asia Trophy Final in Hong Kong. Spurs triumph again in South Africa. While Boro get a win at Darlington and the Hammers are held at Orient. Get the lineups, goals and all the other goodness here…
Fulham 0 Portsmouth 1
Possilby the first proper friendly of the summer saw Pompey overcome Fulham in Hong Kong. Benjani got the winner after Kranjcar’s shot was deflected into his path. Both sides offered big clues on their season kick-off lineups. Fulham preferred Smertin to Diop in midfield with Dempsey holding his place on the left. While for Pompey Kranjcar was preferred to Taylor in a 4-3-3. Taylor did appear in the second-half. More details on those subs to follow…
Fulham Lineup: Warner, Baird, Konchesky, Knight, Hughes, Smertin, Davis, Davies, Dempsey, Kamara, McBride.
Portsmouth Lineup: James, Lauren, Hreidarsson, Distin, Campbell, Muntari, Mendes, O’Neill, Kranjcar, Nugent, Benjani.
South China 1 Liverpool 3
John Arne Riise, Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger got the goals that won Liverpool a place in the Barclays Asia Trophy. Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel were unavailable due to their lack of internatonal clearance and Gerrard was rested, but elsewhere it was a strong Liverpool lineup. Voronin once again caught the eye although Alonso was crowned man of the match with a commanding midfield performance. Agger’s goal – a thunderbolt finish – is a reminder of the centre-back’s goalscoring potential.
Liverpool Lineup: Carson (Martin 82), Riise, Agger, Carragher (captain), Arbeloa, Kewell (Pennant 54), Sissoko (Hypia 72), Alonso (Threlfall 77), Benayoun (Finnan 65), Crouch (Kuyt 54), Voronin
Darlington 0 Middlesbrough 2
A brace from Tom Craddock was enough for Boro to claim this latest win. Julio Arca, Stewart Downing and Emanuel Pogatetz all appeared and were subbed on the hour mark. Matthew Bates, who missed last season with a knee ligament injury was forced off in this match with another worrying injury after just 25 minutes.
Middlebrough Lineup: Knight; Hines, Bates (J Johnson 25), Pogatetz (Wheater 61), Bennett (Kennedy 76), Morrison (Hillerby 76), Cattermole, Arca (Walker 61), Downing (Owens 61), Craddock (Thompson 76), Euell
Orlando Pirates 1 Tottenham 2
Spurs continued their South African tour with a win over the Pirates. Bent scored the first from a Huddlestone through ball before Routledge sealed the win. Paul Stalteri and Pascal Chimbonda got their first action of the pre-season period, while Defoe partnered Bent up front.
Tottenham Lineup: Cerny, Chimbonda, Stalteri, Kaboul, Gardner, Routledge, Jenas (O’Hara 69), Huddlestone, Taarabt (Malbranque 69), Bent, Defoe.
Leyton Orient 1 West Ham 1
Dean Ashton hit his first Hammers goal in almost a year but it wasn’t enough to see off plucky Orient. Ashton scored a thunderous shot from 30-yards – a glimpse of things to come perhaps.
West Ham Lineup: Green; Pantsil, Davenport, Ferdinand, McCartney; Reid (Stokes 70), Bowyer, Mullins, Etherington; Ashton, Cole.