England MU18s 0-0 Belgium (5-4 pens)

 

After sharing a goalless draw over 90 minutes, the game was decided on kicks from the spot with England goalkeeper Charlie Setford saving the crucual spot-kick in sudden death.

 

It was the second match of the trip for Ryan Garry's Young Lions, following their 3-2 defeat against the Netherlands earlier in the week.

 

The head coach made a number of changes to his line-up, aiming to utilise the squad he took to Spain for November's triple header. 

 

And England enjoyed the better of the game in the first half, with Belgium's Timon Vanhoutte being by far the busier of the two goalkeepers but the Young Lions just couldn't find a way past him.

 

But Belgium came closest to scoring in the game, after seeing a free-kick come back off the bar early in the second half.

 

When the teams couldn't be separated after 90 minutes, the match was decided from the spot with a penalty shootout.

 

It looked as though the Young Lions were under pressure, with Sam Braybrooke seeing England's second effort saved with Belgium only needing to score their final penalty to win.

 

But when captain Samuel Mbangula's attempted chip hit the bar and bounced over, it was down to sudden death and after Brodie Hughes slotted home for England, Setford saved Dirk Asare's shot to win it for England.

 

England: 13 Joe Whitworth (Crystal Palace), 12 Brooke Norton-Cuffey (Arsenal), 15 Brodi Hughes (Chelsea), 14 Terence Miles (Liverpool), 20 Ruell Walters (Arsenal), 16 Kaden Rodney (Crystal Palace), 18 Lewis Hall (Chelsea), 23 Jack Wells-Morrison (Crystal Palace), 17 Michael Olakigbe (Fulham) 24 Ollie Arblaster (Sheffield United), 19 Victor Akinwale (Crystal Palace)

 

Substitutes: 9 Divin Mubama (West Ham United) on for Akinwale 64, 1 Charlie Setford (Ajax) for Whitworth 76, 8 George Hall (Birmingham City) for Rodney 76, 2 Rico Lewis (Manchester City) for Walters 76, 6 Sammy Braybrooke (Leicester City) for Hall 76, 11 Sam Mather (Manchester United) for Arblaster 84

 

Subs not used: 21 James Beadle (Charlton Athletic), 22 Tommy Simkin (Stoke City), 5 James Clarridge (Nottingham Forest), 4 Ben Nelson (Leicester City), 3 Harvey Araujo (Fulham), 10 Daniel Gore (Manchester United), 7 Sonny Perkins (West Ham United)

 

Head coach: Ryan Garry 

 

Penalties: Divin Mubama scored; Sammy Braybrooke missed; Terence Miles scored; 11 Sam Mather scored; Rico Lewis scored; Brodi Hughes scored