England MU18s 2-0 Portugal

England men’s under-18s rounded off their Pinatar Tournament with a win after defeating Portugal 2-0 in Spain.

The Three Lions went into the game at the Pinatar Arena off the back of a 3-2 defeat to Netherlands and a penalty shootout win over Belgium in the last week.

England took the lead as early as the fourth minute against Portugal when a poor back-pass from defender Hugo Faria lacked pace and allowed West Ham United striker Divin Mubama to race in and poke the ball past goalkeeper Diogo Pinto.

Portugal almost equalised in very similar circumstances midway through the opening period when Sonny Perkins’ ball back to goalkeeper Tommy Simkin was too short. But whilst Youssef Chermiti got around the Stoke City shot-stopper enough to get an effort away, the striker sent his shot wide of the post.

It was a game played at a fast tempo but without many clear-cut chances for either side.

Mubama went close to scoring midway through the second half when he was released by Sam Mather but the striker’s lofted effort landed on the roof of the net.

But Ryan Garry’s side did score a second on 78 minutes following a counter attack. Again Mather was involved and when he slid the ball into the path of substitute Olakigbe, the Fulham winger finished emphatically past the goalkeeper’s near post.

England ended the game with ten men after Arsenal defender Brooke Norton-Cuffy was booked for dissent deep into injury-time but the Young Lions still almost grabbed a third when Crystal Palace’s Jack Wells-Morrison sent a low drive from distance just wide.

England: 22 Tommy Simkin (Stoke City), 2 Rico Lewis (Manchester City), 3 Harvey Araujo (Fulham), 4 Ben Nelson (Leicester City), 5 James Clarridge (Nottingham Forest), 6 Samuel Braybrooke (Leicester City) ©, 7 Sonny Perkins (West Ham United), 8 George Hall (Birmingham City), 9 Divin Mubama (West Ham United), 10 Daniel Gore (Manchester United), 11 Samuel Mather (Manchester United)

Substitutes: 12 Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Arsenal) for Araujo 46, 17 Michael Olakigbe (Fulham) for Perkins 64, 23 Jack Wells-Morrison (Crystal Palace) for Gore 64, 18 Lewis Hall (Chelsea) for G. Hall 79, 1 Charlie Setford (Ajax) for Simkin 79, 20 Reuell Walters (Arsenal) for Lewis 87, 24 Oliver Arblaster (Sheffield United) for Mather 87

Substitutes not used: 13 Joseph Whitworth (Crystal Palace), 14 Terence Miles (Liverpool), 15 Brodi Hughes (Chelsea), 16 Kaden Rodney (Crystal Palace), 19 Victor Akinwale (Crystal Palace), 21 James Beadle (Charlton Athletic)

Head coach: Ryan Garry

Goals: Divin Mubama 4, Michael Olakigbe 78

Red card: Brooke Norton-Cuffy 90+6