STOKE CITY 1 (Kitson, 72)
FC ST. PAULI 3 (Kruse, 18, 37, Pichinot 90)
City's 2009/10 Barclays Premier League preparations continued on Friday evening as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat against German side FC St. Pauli.
The match, which took place at Irdning's ATV Arena, saw Dave Kitson bag his first goal for the Club since his strike against Southampton during last terms pre-season.
However, it proved to be nothing more than a consolation as a brace from St. Pauli winger Max Kruse ensured they rounded off their tour of Austria in perfect fashion.
Ahead of the game Tony Pulis decided to split the squad into two and field separate elevens in each half of the encounter, as he looked to utilise the match to continue to build up the players fitness ahead of the season opener against Burnley at the Britannia Stadium on August 15.
City actually started the game brightly and could have taken the lead inside 30 seconds after a long punt forward from Danny Higginbotham found Richard Cresswell, who despite having an acute angle, still managed to worry the goalkeeper with a strike which curled agonisingly wide of the far post.
St. Pauli soon got into the swing of things themselves however, and twice went close to taking the lead through long range strikes from Charles Takyi.
After the Potters managed to withstand a spell of heavy pressure from St. Pauli they finally managed to find a breakthrough midway through the first half when Kruse clinically fired the ball past the helpless Thomas Sorensen from 25-yards.
Things could have gone from bad to worse moments later had it not been for City's Danish international stopper, who denied Kruse a second goal with a superb one handed save after the powerful striker found himself free inside the penalty area.
The Potters struggled to contain their opposition, who had won both their previous games out here in Austria, and that showed as they appeared to be at least two weeks ahead of City in terms of fitness.
Another goal always looked imminent and there was nothing Sorensen could do when it finally did come in the 37th minute. Kruse, who looked lively throughout, rose above the City defenders to glide an in-swinging corner into the far corner of the net, much to the delight of their travelling army of supporters, who were enjoying plenty of friendly banter with those who made the journey from the Potteries.
The half time interval eventually came and it brought with it eleven changes for the Potters, and to be honest it breathed a little bit of freshness back into the side as they took the game to the opposition with a little bit more conviction.
The arrival of Matthew Etherington brought some natural pace, whilst Kitson possessed the quality and touch which could see him find his way back into Pulis' plans for the new season.
Efforts from Etherington and Carl Dickinson tested the German stopper as City looked to claw their way back into the contest, whilst a number of the trademark Rory Delap launches into the penalty area had the opposition's defenders all at sea.
African striker Drodo-Ampen reminded City that they wouldn't be having it all their own way with a ferocious effort which flew inches past Steve Simonsen's left hand post, while he went even closer shortly after with a strike which cannoned of the post.
However, the Potters did manage a breakthrough and it came from Kitson, who showed a great first touch to free himself in the 18-yard box, before exquisitely sending the keeper the wrong way with a sublime finish.
Dickinson, who found himself occupying the left flank during the second period then thought he had levelled the scoreline only for Hain to deny him with an outstanding double save in the 83rd minute.
Despite pushing for a late leveller Nils Pichinot finished the Potters off with a thunderous effort from just outside the 'D' with the last kick of the game.
CITY 1st Half: Sorensen; Davies, Abdoulaye Faye (c), Shawcross, Higginbotham; Tonge, Diao, Whelan, Pugh; Cresswell, Beattie.
CITY 2nd Half: Simonsen; Wilkinson, Cort, Sonko, Griffin; Lawrence, Amdy Faye, Delap, Dickinson; Etherington, Kitson.
ST. PAULI: Hain; Hennings, Bruns, Gunesch, Takyi; Thorandt, Boll, Kruse, Lehmann; Rothenbach, Drodo-Ampen.
