Scotland 1-2 England

Scotland U16 v England U16
Sky Sports Victory Shield
7.45pm, Thursday 29 November 2007
The Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk FC

Jonjo Shelvey kept up his goal-a-game Victory Shield record as England claimed their seventh title in a row at Falkirk on Thursday night.

The Charlton midfielder latched onto Jose Baxter’s superb through-ball in first-half injury time and beat Celtic’s Connor Fairley with a cool finish from ten yards.

Shelvey had opened up England’s Victory Shield campaign with a close- range strike against Northern Ireland back in October before ending Welsh hopes with a terrific curling free kick earlier this month.

Baxter then found the net himself in the second half, scoring his second penalty in as many games after a foul on Elford-Alliyu but Scotland’s response was immediate.

Substitute Kal Naismith had barely been on the pitch 30 seconds when he was felled by Steer in the box and the lanky Rangers hitman got up to stroke the spot-kick home.

And the Tartan Army almost secured a point in injury time when Steer sent McRobbie crashing in the area. Referee, Alan Muir, pointed to the spot but Naismith saw his penalty saved by England’s busy 'keeper.

Scotland, who had to win the game to lift the title themselves, had given the Falkirk crowd plenty to cheer about in the first half and the hosts started brightly with Max Wright beating Steer with a low right foot shot from the edge of the area which just missed the target.

The Norwich City stopper was again called into action on the 20- minute mark when Keatings evaded MacDonald’s challenge but the Celtic striker’s left foot shot was pushed away at the near post.

 

Plymouth’s Liam Head almost got England off the mark twice when Fairley saved his left-foot shot from the edge of the box early on before going close at the far post after a great inswinging free kick from Tunnicliffe.

The tricky Keatings caused England more problems on the half-hour mark. Just seconds after Leeds United’s Luke Garbutt replaced Angus MacDonald through injury, the Scottish striker waltzed through the new backline but Steer acrobatically saved with a right-hand block.

But Shelvey's strike lifted England's confidence at the break and left the hosts with an uphill task of scoring twice to bring the Shield north of the border.

Scotland showed plenty of bite in the second half and Keatings again went close as England rode their luck at the back but Baxter's penalty put Kenny Swain's side in the driving seat while Tunnicliffe and Elford-Alliyu almost extended the lead for the Young Lions.

 

Scotland's late rally wasn't quite enough and the title win was England’s fifth outright championship since the turn of the Millennium having shared the spoils with Scotland (2003) and Wales (2005).

Scotland: 1 Connor Fairley (Celtic), 2 Darren Cole (Rangers), 3 Scott Smith (Hibs), 4 Grant Mosson (Celtic), 5 Ross Smith (Dundee Utd) (14 Jamie Pollock (Motherwell), 49), 6 Gavin Stokes (Dundee Utd) (17 Jordan Lowdon (Celtic), 46), 7 Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) (16 Jordan Elfverson (Dundee Utd), 71), 8 Gordon Dick (Rangers), 9 Callum McRobbie (Aberdeen), James Keatings (Celtic), 10 James Keatings, 11 Max Wright (Rangers) (15 Kal Naismith (Rangers), 68).
Subs not used: 12 Alan Rae (Motherwell), 13 Cameron Howie (Dundee Utd), 18 Craig Pender (Hearts)

 

Goals: Naismith 69 (pen)



England: 1 Jed Steer (Norwich City), 2 Sam Byles (Arsenal) (16 Keanu Marsh Brown (Fulham), 46), 3 James Hurst (WBA), 4 Emmanuel Frimpong (Arsenal), 5 Angus MacDonald (Reading) (18 Luke Garbutt (Leeds Utd), 30), 6 Eddie Oshodi (Watford), 7 Jonjo Shelvey (Charlton Ath) (13 Josh McEachran (Chelsea), 70), 8 Ryan Tunnicliffe (Manchester Utd), 9 Jose Baxter (Everton), 10 Liam Head (Plymouth Argyle) (15 Lateef Elford-Alliyu (WBA), 67), 11 Abdulai Baggie (Reading), (14 Ibra Sekajja (Crystal Palace), 52). 

Subs not used: 12 Jak Alnwick (Sunderland), 17 Jacob Walcott (Reading).

 

Goals: Shelvey 40, Baxter 68 (pen)

 

Referee: Alan Muir

Assistant Referees: Graham Chambers & Michael Wilson

Fourth Official: Craig Charleston

Attendance: 2,005