Sun Jihai hits framework as Man City suffer blow
By Fang Xuan (www.chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-09-19 09:25

It was so ever so close, Manchester City fans could almost taste a record-setting victory. City fans saw their most versatile player Chinese Sun Jihai fire a powerful shot six minutes before the end of the team’s match with Bolton Sunday only to have the ball hit the framework in English Premier League.

Sun leaves pitch with teammate Mills after lose.

Botlton won 1-0.

The defeat ended City's proud 13-match unbeaten run, only one game short of setting a new post World War II win record.

The in-form Sun fired a powerful long left foot shot, only to see the ball hit the beam.

All together, City had five shots hit the framework, and their lack of luck allowed their opponents to steal the victory from them with a stoppage-time penalty by Scotland midfielder Gary Speed.

The Chinese player came on as a substitute 26 minutes into the first half replacing injured right midfielder Trevor Sinclair, the fifth straight time he has come on as a relief player in a Premier League matche and also for the longest time.

This is Sun's 102th appearance in an European soccer league match, equalling the record of another Chinese player, Yang Chen, who was with the Bundasliga side Frankfurt from 2000 to 2002.

Former Asian footballer of Year Japan midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata substituted for Diouf 10 minutes after the start of the second half, but the two Asian international players didn't have much chance for a direct clash.

Bolton have had a reputation in recent years for nicking results when the odds are against them and this was just jarring another example.

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