Report: England Elite League squad 1-2 Portugal

England’s Elite League squad suffered late heartbreak at Stadium MK as Portugal scored in the 94th minute to win 2-1.

The Young Lions came from behind to draw level with the visitors thanks to a goal by Olympique Marseille’s Emran Soglo in the first half.

But in the final moments, Portugal snatched a dramatic winner in front of the 1,756 fans in attendance in what was England’s second Elite League game, following Thursday’s 2-0 defeat in Romania.

Formerly known as the MU20s, the England Men’s Elite League squad is open for players born between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2004 and will see them in action against Romania, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Czechia, Poland and Netherlands across the rest of the season.

It was Portugal who took the lead inside the opening ten minutes through Youssef Chermiti.

But England equalised midway through the first half when Alfie Devine crossed from the left-hand side and Soglo tapped in at the far post.

Chermiti would have scored his second of the night shortly before half-time had it not been for a great save by England goalkeeper James Beadle and Nelson Abbey did well to block the follow-up.

Dan Gore had the ball in the back of the net moments later when he won the ball back just outside the Portugal box and scored but the referee pulled it back for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Devine went agonisingly close to scoring with a free-kick early in the second half but there were not as many clear-cut chances in the second period and it looked as though the sides would have to settle for a draw.

But Portugal snatched a dramatic winner in the fourth minute of injury when Miguel Fale headed over Beadle to make it 2-1.

There was still time left for Mason Burstow to have an attempt but it just went over the bar.

England: 1 James Beadle (Oxford United, loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), 2 Ryan Andrews (Watford), 3 Lewis Hall (Newcastle United (loan from Chelsea), 4 Ronnie Edwards (Peterborough United) (c ), 5 Nelson Abbey (Reading), 6 Daniel Gore (Manchester United), 7 Emran Soglo (Olympique Marseille), 8 Oliver Arblaster (Port Vale, loan from Sheffield United), 9 Dane Scarlett (Ipswich Town, loan from Tottenham Hotspur), 10 Divin Mubama (West Ham United), 11 Alfie Devine (Port Vale, loan from Tottenham Hotspur)

Substitutes: 14 Darko Gyabi (Leeds United) for Soglo 66, 19 Mason Burstow (Sunderland, loan from Chelsea) for Scarlett 66, 18 Omari Forson (Manchester United) for Gore 68, 15 Mateo Joseph (Leeds United) for Arblaster 78, 17 Charlie Webster (Heerenveen, loan from Chelsea) for Mubama 78, 16 Michael Olakigbe (Brentford) for Devine 85

Substitutes not used: 13 Joseph Whitworth (Crystal Palace), 22 Charlie Setford (Ajax)

Interim head coach: Joe Edwards

Goals: Emran Soglo 22