SPORTS> China
Beijing Guo'an downs Jets at AFC Champions League
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-11 11:05

BEIJING -- Beijing Guo'an of China beat Newcastle Jets of Australia 2-0 at a Group E game of the AFC Champions League at the Workers Stadium here on Tuesday.

It's the first official game for Guo'an in 2009 and the win makes coach Lee Jang Soo happy.

"The first game is always difficult in a tournament, but as the result is in favor of us, I am very satisfied," said Lee.

"After we scored, the players tried to keep the 1-0 score to the end. I think that's not a good attitude, we should change that in the future."

"In the first 30 mintues, Guo'an dominated the game, but in the latter second half we dominated the match and in the end we pushed up. We could have scored a goal, but we wasted the chances and conceded the second," said Jets boss Peter Van Egmond.

Left winger Ryan Griffiths opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a close range shot inside the box after Wang Changqing provided a fine cut-back cross from the right side. Substitute striker Du Wenhui contributed the other with a low drive in injury time.

Wang had a clear chance on 27 minutes, but his one-on-one shot was blocked by a full-stretched Covic Ante. Griffiths nearly made his second before the break, but his tight angle shot following Wang's right-flank cross went just wide of the far post.

Sasho Petrovski could have levelled for the visitors, but his bullet header in the 70th minute was denied by a concentrated Yang Zhi. The striker wasted another great chance facing an empty net shortly bofore the final whistle.