By Jon Ritson

Ernie Merrick’s men secured their first silverware of the campaign after a dramatic success over sister-city rivals Tianjin Teda.

Victory edged the clash 6-5 on penalties after the two sides ended the match locked at 1-1.

Danny Allsopp was Victory’s scorer (34 minutes) while the hero at the other end of the pitch was goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic, making two penalty saves.

The side secured their success in tough conditions with temperatures approaching 30 degrees.

Merrick was delighted with his side’s achievement with several players picked out for individual praise.

He said: “All the boys are absolutely exhausted after a tough and competitive match played in hot and balmy conditions.

“We rotated the bench so that all our players got a run, which was important after a couple of days of gruelling travel just to get here.

“Once again our defence was rock solid, and Matthew Kemp and Joseph Keenan again caused problems for our opponents down the flanks.

“Danny Allsopp played brilliantly, I thought. As well as the goal he scored he should have had a penalty awarded to him, and perhaps deserved more. He was well supported by Adrian Caceres, whose good play set Danny up for the goal.

“Our midfield was led superbly by our captain (Kevin Muscat), but as with the game against China it was difficult to be creative with only defensive midfielders at our disposal for this trip. At half time we replaced Steve Pantelidis with Leigh Broxham and he combined well with young Kaz Patafta, which is very promising for the future.”

Merrick was satisfied to come away from the tour with some valuable match practice, together with a greater understanding of Asian football.

He said: “We’ve played two games in four days in oppressive conditions, which has not only provided us with a solid preparation for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season, but also given us a taste of what to expect in the AFC Champions League next year.”

Victory will greet fans at an open training session at Olympic Park on Thursday (12th July) before heading to Launceston to face Adelaide United in the opening round of the 2007 Pre-Season Cup next Sunday 15th July.