Report: Kazakhstan 0-2 England MU21s

A quickfire double helped England get their U21 European Championship qualifying campaign off to a flying start with 2-0 victory over Kazakhstan at the Aktobe Ortalyk Stadion.

It was Ethan Nwaneri who broke the deadlock for England as he rifled home a brilliant strike to give the Young Lions a deserved early lead away from home.

And England would not have to wait long for their second as Jobe Bellingham headed home to double the advantage within five minutes, providing a comfortable cushion that they would successfully defend.

England nearly had the advantage after just two minutes when Brooke Norton-Cuffy fired in a low cross that debutant Divin Mubama got to unmarked but saw his touch saved by Dulat Talyspayev. But the striker would be involved when Nwaneri put England ahead after 18 minutes.

Mubama did well to control a long ball over the top inside the box and chest down into the path of Nwaneri who charged onto the ball to lash home the opener from the edge of the box.

Their second would follow just five minutes later as captain Bellingham arrived in the centre of the box to nod home from Tyler Dibling’s corner for his first goal for England MU21s.

Despite England’s comfortable lead, Kazakhstan looked to fight back as they forced James Beadle into a couple of stops in the ensuing action.

But it was England who had the best chance to bag the third of the match before half-time when Nwaneri was tripped just outside the box.

It was the goalscorer himself that stepped to strike the resulting free-kick and while a curling shot towards the top right corner was on target, Talyspayev was able to palm away.

Nwaneri continued to cause problems in tight areas for Kazakhstan after the break, combining with Jamie Gittens on the left to win a free-kick level with the box on 55 minutes.

This time Gittens would be the one to strike, but curled his shot just high and wide of the far post.

Kazakhstan continued to push to provide something for the home fans to cheer as England had to weather a period of sustained pressure around the 70th minute mark.

Their best chance came as Alexandr Mrynskiy played Nurali Zhaksylyk in down the right. But they could not find the breakthrough as the under-21 debutant cut into the box before curling a low shot just wide of the far post.

England could have had their third against the run of play minutes later as Mubama ran onto a through-ball at the edge of the box, but Talyspayev was out quickly to quash the danger.

Despite a late triple substitution by Kazakhstan, momentum would swing back to the Young Lions in the closing stages as Romain Esse saw a curling shot fly across the face of goal.

But neither side would find a breakthrough in the second half as England’s early double remained the difference between the two sides.

England: 1 James Beadle (Birmingham City); 2 Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Genoa), 14 Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), 4 Joshua Acheampong (Chelsea), 20 Tyler Dibling (Southampton); 7 Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), 10 Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), 6 Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton & Hove Albion); 11 Jamie Gittens (Chelsea), 9 Divin Mubama (Stoke City), 8 Lewis Miley (Newcastle United)

Substitutes: 21 Romain Esse (Crystal Palace) for Dibling 62, 17 Thomas Watson (Brighton & Hove Albion) for Gittens 71, 23 Sydie Peck (Sheffield United) for Nwaneri 76, 5 Ashley Phillips (Stoke City) for Miley 76

Substitutes not used: 13 Tommy Simkin (Leyton Orient), 3 Max Alleyne (Watford), 12 Ben Chrisene (Norwich City), 16 Thierry Small (Preston North End), 18 William Lankshear (Oxford United)

Goals: Nwaneri 18, Bellingham 23

Yellow cards: Gray 34, Mubama 44

Kazakhstan: 1 Dulat Talyspayev; 2 Alexandr Mrynskiy, 4 Sultan Askarov, 3 Temirlan Murzagaliyev, 13 Ramazan Karimov; 7 Nurali Zhaksylyk, 21 Ayan Baidavletov, 6 Abinur Nurymbet, 8 Olzhas Baibek, 11 Yan Trufanov; 9 Ramazan Bagdat

Substitutes: 17 Magzhan Toktybay for Baidavletov 71, 14 Gleb Valgushev for Bagdat 76, 23 Saif Popov for Trufanov 84, 10 David Yessimbekov for Zhaksylyk 84, 5 Nikita Gubarev for Karimov 84

Substitutes not used: 22 Miras Rikhard, 15 Ali Turganov, 18 Bakhtiyar Toleuov, 20 Vyacheslav Raskatov

Yellow cards: Bagdat 8, Murzagaliyev 65