Report: England MU20s 2-1 Germany

England men’s under-20s made it three wins from three games in the first international window of the new season, after a 2-1 victory over Germany in Spain.

Darren Moore’s Young Lions came into their final match of this get-together on the back of victories over Italy and France in their first two games of the U20 Elite League campaign.

And they will head back home with another win under their belts, after goals from Shim Mheuka and Kian Noble proved enough, despite England playing the second half with ten men after a red card for Jack Fletcher on the stoke of half time for a high challenge.

The opening goal came just after the half-hour mark when Chris Rigg nodded the ball down to Mikey Moore, whose exquisite through ball sent Mheuka clear on goal to slot England ahead.

England doubled their advantage just two minutes into the second half when Rigg’s corner was back-heeled at the near post towards goal and well saved by Florian Hellstern in the German goal.

Jesse Derry picked up the loose ball and spotted Noble, with the Manchester City defender firing home from close range.

Germany did find a way back into the game on the hour mark through substitute Eric da Silva Moreira, and went on to pile the pressure on England in the search for an equaliser coming close in the dying seconds when a free-kick crashed off the woodwork.

But Moore’s men remained solid to preserve their lead until full time and bring a successful end to the new head coach’s first trip with his squad.

England: 1 Oliver Whatmuff (Stockport County, on loan from Manchester City), 2 Souleymane Sidibe (PSV Eindhoven II), 3 Harry Amass (Manchester United), 5 Ayden Heaven (Manchester United), 7 Shea Lacey (Manchester United), 8 Christopher Rigg (Sunderland) (c), 9 Shumaira Mheuka (Celtic, on loan from Chelsea), 11 Mikey Moore (FC Köln, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), 15 Kian Noble (Manchester City), 18 Jesse Derry (Sporting Club De Portugal, on loan from Chelsea), 19 Jack Fletcher (Manchester United)

Substitutions: 21 Jim Thwaites (Manchester United) for Lacey 46, 17 Christian McFarlane (Leicester City) for Derry 56, 16 Brooklyn Nfonkeu-Feuba (Manchester City) for Mheuka 78, 23 Andre Harriman-Annous (Arsenal) for Moore 90

Substitutes not used: 12 Ezra Mayers, 20 Jay Robinson (Associazione Calcio Monza, on loan from Southampton), 6 Airidas Golambeckis (West Ham United), 13 Nicholas Michalski (Crawley Town, on loan from Blackburn Rovers), 22 Khari Ranson (Arsenal)

Head coach: Darren Moore

Goals: Mheuka 37, Noble 47.