England 3-2 Finland

Nordic U17 Tournament
Víkingsvöllur, Reykjavik
02 August 2005

England opened their Nordic U17 Tournament campaign in style with a 3-2 win over Group B rivals Finland.

England trailed their Scandinavian opponents at half-time but three goals in ten second-half minutes ensured that they secured all three points and leadership of Group B.

With a lot of new faces in the team it was understandable that England struggled in the first half and they fell behind to a well-worked 28th minute goal from Akseli Pelvas.

Nothing was going right for England, who only tested Tomi Fjäder's goal with speculative efforts from goal, though he did have to save one 25-yard effort from Jake Thompson which threatened to dip beneath his bar.

England were nevertheless glad to hear the half-time whistle and coach Kenny Swain used the time to make one or two organisational changes to the shape of the side and England came out a much-improved outfit as a result.

Playing far more fluently, they got themselves level with a well-worked goal down the left. Middlesbrough's Nathan Porritt, playing as a left winger crossed from wide and found Karl Ashton, who tucked the ball home with a confident finish.

Swain's side were enjoying a purple patch of form and they went into the lead three minutes later with another goal that came from exploiting the full width of the pitch that their 4-3-3 formation allowed them.

Everton's Stephen Connor beat Tomi Virtanen and crossed low to the near post where Sunderland midfielder Jamie Chandler put the Three Lions in front.

Substitute Joseph Mills, brother of U19s defender Matthew, gave England a third goal in ten minutes when he scored with his first touch on 52 minutes.

The Southampton man had only come on for Connor a minute earlier when he converted another right wing cross from Porritt.

Valeri Minkenen's goal six minutes later kept the Finns in the match but though they came close to equalising - Kurt Robinson hacking away a Finnish effort from off the line - England held on to take command of the group.

England v Finland, Nordic Tournament, Reykjavik, 02 August 2005

England: Andreas Arestidou - Blackburn Rovers; Kurt Robinson - Ipswich Town, Joseph Magunda - Leicester City, Jordan Spence - West Ham United, Paul Rodgers - Arsenal; Jamie Chandler - Sunderland, Joshua Wright - Charlton Athletic (capt.), Jake Thompson - Southampton (Matthew Richards - Derby County, 58); Nathan Porritt - Middlesbrough (Ashley Chambers - Leicester City, 62), Karl Ashton - Derby County, Stephen Connor - Everton (Joseph Mills - Southampton, 51)
Subs not used: Michael Kay - Sunderland, Mark Randall - Arsenal, Alex Smithies - Huddersfield Town (gk), Lee Hales - West Ham United.

Goals: Ashton 42, Chandler 45, Mills 52

Finland: Tomi Fjäder, Jari Nikkilä, Jere Halme, Valeri Minkenen, Janne Törmänen, Riku Riski, Akseli Pelvas, Juha Tuomi, Tomi Virtanen, Arto Korte (Toni Roschier, 52), Patrik Lomski (Werner Kaitila, 66).
Subs not used: Juha Tuisku, Kalle Mäkinen, Arto Lindberg, Sakari Mattila, Ville Ojala

Goals: Pelvas 28, Minkenen 58

Bookings: Jake Thompson, 40; Andreas Arestidou, 73

Referee: Georg Nolsøe Rasmussen
Assistants: Einar Örn Daníelsson, Magnús Jón Björgvinsson