Published 11 October 2021 4 min read
Men's U18
England MU18s 3-0 Russia
Ryan Garry's Young Lions secure victory in Marbella
England men’s under-18s brought their trip to Spain to a winning end on Monday afternoon with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Russia.
The Young Lions put in a strong display at the Marbella Football Centre, where goals from Sonny Perkins, Michael Olakigbe and Lewis Hall gave their new head coach Ryan Garry his first win since taking charge for this camp.
They had been unfortunate to lose their first game of the trip last week when conceding a last-minute goal against Norway.
But there was no holding England back in this game, and they took the lead midway through the first half.
The move began when James Clarridge’s raking switch from the back found Perkins on the right. The West Ham forward broke in from there before finishing well from a tight angle to set his side on their way.
And they doubled the advantage less than ten minutes later when Fulham’s Olakigbe showed the importance of pressing and persistence, by stealing the ball from a Russian defender before holding off another challenge and then finishing calmly past goalkeeper Daniil Khudiakov.
Olakigbe turned provider ten minutes into the second half, when he teased his way past a defender on the left before pulling the ball back for Hall who swept home a finish into the far corner.
That finished off the scoring, with the squad now returning to home soil.
England: 22 Max Thompson (Newcastle United), 15 Jadel Katongo (Manchester City), 19 Jude Soonsup-Bell (Chelsea), 16 Charlie Webster (Chelsea) (c), 17 Michael Olakigbe (Fulham), 20 Sonny Perkins (West Ham United), 18 Lewis Hall (Chelsea), 23 Harvey Araujo (Fulham), 14 James Clarridge (Nottingham Forest), 12 Joshua Robinson (Arsenal), 21 Daniel Gore (Manchester United)
Substitutes: 13 Jack Hall (Sheffield Wednesday) for Thompson 46, 6 Sammy Braybrooke (Leicester City) for Hall 58, 2 Rico Lewis (Manchester City) for Robinson 58, 4 Elijah Campell (Everton) for Araujo 58, 10 Kian Pennant (Leicester City) for Gore 70, 11 Sam Mather (Manchester United) for Perkins 70, 8 Jack Wells-Morrison (Crystal Palace) for Olakigbe 70, 5 Brodi Hughes (Chelsea) for Clarridge 83
Substitutes not used: 7 Silko Thomas (Chelsea), 3 Zak Sturge (Brighton & Hove Albion), 9 Zak Emmerson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 1 Charlie Setford (Ajax)
Head coach: Ryan Garry
Goals: Sonny Perkins 27, Michael Olakigbe 34, Lewis Hall 54
That finished off the scoring, with the squad now returning to home soil.
England: 22 Max Thompson (Newcastle United), 15 Jadel Katongo (Manchester City), 19 Jude Soonsup-Bell (Chelsea), 16 Charlie Webster (Chelsea) (c), 17 Michael Olakigbe (Fulham), 20 Sonny Perkins (West Ham United), 18 Lewis Hall (Chelsea), 23 Harvey Araujo (Fulham), 14 James Clarridge (Nottingham Forest), 12 Joshua Robinson (Arsenal), 21 Daniel Gore (Manchester United)
Substitutes: 13 Jack Hall (Sheffield Wednesday) for Thompson 46, 6 Sammy Braybrooke (Leicester City) for Hall 58, 2 Rico Lewis (Manchester City) for Robinson 58, 4 Elijah Campell (Everton) for Araujo 58, 10 Kian Pennant (Leicester City) for Gore 70, 11 Sam Mather (Manchester United) for Perkins 70, 8 Jack Wells-Morrison (Crystal Palace) for Olakigbe 70, 5 Brodi Hughes (Chelsea) for Clarridge 83
Substitutes not used: 7 Silko Thomas (Chelsea), 3 Zak Sturge (Brighton & Hove Albion), 9 Zak Emmerson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 1 Charlie Setford (Ajax)
Head coach: Ryan Garry
Goals: Sonny Perkins 27, Michael Olakigbe 34, Lewis Hall 54
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