England 5-0 Belarus

U19 International Friendly
Meadow Lane, Notts County FC
7.45pm, Tuesday 11 September 2007

England U19s warmed up for next month’s European Championship preliminary qualifiers with a thumping 4-0 win over Belarus at Notts County on Tuesday night.

The youngsters paid tribute to former U19s striker, Ray Jones, who was tragically killed in a road traffic accident last month with a minute’s applause before kick off and it wasn’t long before Brian Eastick’s young charges had the Meadow Lane crowd back on their feet and celebrating the opening goal of this season’s campaign.

Five minutes were barely on the clock when Sone Aluko’s defence splitting ball from midfield was slotted home by Manchester United’s Fabian Brandy.

It was a big day for the Aluko household as just hours earlier Sone’s sister, Eni, played up front in England Women’s 2-2 draw with Japan at the Women’s World Cup in China.

Newcastle United striker, Andy Carroll, currently on loan at Preston North End, made it 2-0 just ten minutes later when he latched onto Jack Cork’s high ball and calmly found the net from five yards after Hamelka denied his first attempt.

The first half rout continued on 19 minutes when James Henry’s cross to the far post was converted by Lee Sawyer after Aluko’s initial effort was blocked by the Belarus backline.

England keeper Simon Eastwood had barely touched the ball when he was called into action just before the break, The Huddersfield Town stopper confidently tipping Andrei Varenkou’s thunderbolt from the edge of the box just around the post for a corner.

Half-time sub Tope Obadeyi finished off the scoring when he capitalised on Hamelka’s error to poke home from six yards on the hour mark.

But England were forced to play out the last 20 minutes with ten men when Sawyer received a straight red card for a powerful two footed challenge on Belarus skipper Hrechyshka.

The 4-0 triumph means Eastick and England can look forward to October’s qualifiers against Belgium, Iceland and Romania with relish.

England: Simon Eastwood (Huddersfield Town), Jack Cork (Chelsea – on loan to Scunthorpe Utd), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea – on loan to Oldham Ath), Lee Sawyer (Chelsea), Sam Hutchinson (Chelsea), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), James Henry (Reading), Jamie Chandler (Sunderland), Andy Carroll (Newcastle Utd, Fred Sears, West Ham Utd, 63 mins), Fabian Brandy (Manchester Utd, Tope Obadeyi, Bolton Wanderers, 46 mins), Sone Aluko (Birmingham City, Edward Upson, Ipswich Town, 85 mins).
Subs not used: Preston Edwards (Millwall), Joe Mills (Southampton), Ross Wilkinson (Leeds Utd), Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa).

Goals: Febian Brandy 5, Andy Carroll 15, Lee Sawyer 19, Topi Obadeyi 60

Red card: Sawyer 70

Belarus: Artisiom Hamelka, Yury Yurchanka (Bubnou, 55), Maksim Vitus, Dzmitry Shmatko, Siarhei Palitsevich, Aliaksei Kazlou (Kovalenko, 86), Pavel Hrechyshka (Soulim, 70), Andrei Varankou, Dzmitry Yuzvovich (Zubovich, 52), Ihar Zaniamonets (Matsveyanka 66), Yauheni Kurlovich (Radevich, 46)
Booked: Shmatko 84

Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant Referees: Michael Murphy & Steve Ross
Fourth Official: Gary Sutton

Attendance: 4,266