Shield success in Scotland
Thursday, 26 November, 2009
U16s win Victory Shield for ninth successive year.
Matt Phillips from Tynecastle
Blair Turgott's second-half strike sealed England's ninth consecutive Victory Shield title at Tynecastle Stadium on Thursday.
The West Ham youngster hooked home a right foot shot from ten yards on the hour to send England home victorious, but Kenny Swain's side were made to work for their win after Scotland broke the deadlock on 25 minutes through skipper Jack Grimmer.
The Aberdeen youngster drilled home an unstoppable right foot shot past Jordan Pickford in the England goal after good work from Matthew Kennedy and Lewis MacLeod in the Scotland midfield.
Yet England's reply was almost immediate with Arsenal's Zak Ansah levelling inside three minutes. Hearts defender Scott Campbell failed to clear a chest down from Chalmers and Ansah pounced on the error to poke the ball past Wightman from eight yards. It was a deserved equaliser for England who had rattled the woodwork inside the opening five minutes when Sam Magri's header from a Matthias Fanimo free-kick looped onto the bar.
And England almost made it two just minutes after Ansah's leveller when Fanimo dinked a freekick into the box but Magri failed to connect with the goal at his mercy.
England were now well in control with West Ham duo Turgott and Fanimo dominating down the left. Fanimo went close when he blasted a shot into the side netting while QPR's Raheem Sterling and Ansah saw good efforts go wide.
But Scotland could have gone into the break level when MacLeod put Islam Feruz through on goal. The Celtic striker hit a left foot shot past Pickford but the ball rolled agonisingly wide to the dismay of the near 3,000 crowd.
Swain chose to change his striking options in the second half with Sterling and Ansah making way for Hallam Hope and Elikem Amenku at the break.
But Scotland were still struggling to contain Turgott and Fanimo in the second half and the duo's pressure eventually paid when Turgott fired home the winner.
Turgott could have put the game beyond doubt when his close range shot was blocked by the courageous Wightman.
Scotland had been reduced to half chances and the Tartan Army saw a penalty shout waved away by the ref when a high ball into the box hit Adam Jackson's left hand.
It proved to be Scotland's final chance and England were left to celebrate another Victory Shield title triumph.