Jets owner Martin Lee’s third-tier Chinese side took the lead in the 16^th minute before Ben Martin took advantage of a goalkeeping howler to equalise seven minutes before full-time.

Thompson, who played the second half, said he was already learning to appreciate former Jets youth captain Pawiak’s work rate.   

“When you’ve got someone as old as I am in the midfield, you need someone to do your running for you, and he’s that sort of player,” Thompson said.

“He definitely gets around the pitch very easy. And he brings a lot, not only in attack but in defence as well. He cuts off passing lanes, and you can tell him being in the Jets set-up as long as he has he’s a quality player. He’s going to be big for us this year.”

The game was clearly a clash of footballing cultures as the technical Chinese ran into a robust Magpies side. The result was considerable time spent on the ground clutching ankles and shins.

“It’s no secret. Everyone plays a different style of football,” Thompson said. “They’re technically better than most of us, and that’s the truth. They obviously work on that at training, and that’s something they pride themselves on. The left back is just as good as the No.9 and the No.10 with the ball at their feet.

“They might not work on tackling and whatnot. We’re renowned for that, and that was our edge. That might have ruffled them a little bit. You hit one of them early on and they think it’s coming again when it’s not.

“There was no animosity. They got stuck in with a few cheapies as well, which was great.” 

Thompson said Shenzhen were “technically pretty sharp” and surprised his side tactically.  

“It was our best hitout all year. I thought we did quite well. They play a different formation to what we come up against in the NPL, a 3-5-2. They caught us a bit unaware.

“Once we started realising how they were playing it became easier to figure out how we were going to set up. We pretty much went man for man in the second half.”

Thompson said playing against an overseas professional club was a “big night for Maitland football”.

The Magpies played the Chinese and Australian anthems before the game and raised both countries’ flags. The Chinese club’s female chief executive officer, Li Hong, was in the crowd.

Shenzhen, who play in a similar kit to Maitland’s, had to wear the Magpies’ away shirts after apparently turning up without their change strip.

Shenzhen will play Hamilton Olympic at Darling St Oval from 7pm on Monday and the Jets in a training game on Wednesday at Newcastle University.