England 4-0 Wales

Sky Sports Victory Shield
New Bucks Head, Telford
14 October 2005

Kenny Swain’s U16 side cruised to a 4-0 victory over Wales in Telford on Friday night.

England took the lead on 22 minutes when the impressive Nathan Porritt ran on to a flicked header by Ashley Chambers and curled the ball towards the near post where his club mate Jonathan Franks bundled the ball home from close range.

The Middlesbrough pair combined superbly once again just after the interval to give Franks his second goal of the game. 

A long clearance was knocked on by Porritt into the path of Franks who steadied himself before smashing an unstoppable swerving drive into the top corner.

Ashley Chambers completed a good night’s work for England’s front three on 59 minutes when the Leicester forward beat two defenders before slotting the ball underneath the advancing Rhys Taylor in the Welsh goal.

Substitute Danny Rose then capped an impressive cameo performance with England’s fourth and final goal. The midfielder took advantage of some hesitancy in the Welsh back line to burst clear before coolly slotting the ball in off the left hand upright.

Kayne Mcklaggon wasted the visitor’s best chance of a consolation after they were awarded a penalty late in the game, but his tamely struck spot-kick was easily saved by Alex Smithies diving to his left. 

Coach Swain was particularly pleased with England’s three-goal second-half display, but felt that the visitors deserved some credit.

“I was satisfied with the last 40 minutes," he said. "We thoroughly deserved the victory but we didn’t play how I would have liked in the first-half and struggled to get out of second or third gear, but we really dictated the pace in the second-half.”

“This is as good a Welsh side as I have seen; very athletic and very professional.”


England 4-0 Wales, Victory Shield, 14 October 2005

England: Alex Smithies, Nana Ofori, Joe Mattock (Tony Brooks, 65), Michael Woods, Jordan Spence (capt.), Stephen Clancy, Jonathan Franks, Henri Lansbury (Tom Harvey, 46), Ashley Chambers, Saulo Asajile (Danny Rose, 46), Nathan Porritt (Danny Welbeck, 70).
Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Corey Sinnott.

Goals: Franks 2, Chambers, Rose

Wales: Rhys Taylor (c), Troy Brown, Tom Evans, Jamie Price, Daniel Knight, Jonathan Brown, Aaron Ramsey, Matthew Hurdman, Michael Cronshaw, Sam Wade, Adam Bendall.
Subs: Kayne McLaggon, Rhys Llwyd, Keiron Howard, Joseph Partington, Dale Otten, Ceri Morgan, Christopher Maxwell.

Referee: Mike Jones
Assistant Referees: James Cox and William Smallwood
Fourth Official: Rob Shoebridge