Auld Enemy showdown
By Matt Phillips
Wednesday, 30 March, 2011
Kenny Swain's side know victory against Scotland can seal the Victory Shield.
There’ll be an Auld Enemy showdown at Morecambe’s Globe Arena on Wednesday when England and Scotland battle it out for this season’s U16s Sky Sports Victory Shield title.
England will be gunning for their tenth title in a row but only three points will do for Kenny Swain’s youngsters while Scotland need just a point to pick up their first Victory Shield championship in over a decade.
Having started the competition with a 4-0 defeat at Wales in November, England finally got back to winning ways last Tuesday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Northern Ireland at Ballymena.
Manchester City’s Devante Cole, son of Andy Cole, got the opener while goals from Jack Jebb of Arsenal and Manchester United’s Joe Rothwell completed the win.
Swain, who won a European Cup winners medal with Aston Villa in 1982, said: “Northern Ireland put us under a bit of pressure but, after that, we had the game well under control and we were comfortable winners in the end.
“The boys have that natural ingredient and they all want to win.”
Swain knows that the Scotland game will prove to be a tough test as this season’s Victory Shield draws to a close: “Ross Mathie, Scotland’s Head Coach, always has his teams well prepared and our games against them are always entertaining.
“They’ll definitely be match for us and it will be an entertaining contest,” commented Swain, who has named Gus Poyet’s son, Diego, in his 18-man squad at Morecambe.