Turkey win by odd goal in five in Northampton.

The FA International Tournament
7pm, Friday 28 August
Sixfields Stadium, Northampton Town FC

Turkey edged an entertaining five-goal thriller at the Sixfields Stadium as John Peacock’s England side were beaten 3-2 in the second match of The FA International U17 Tournament.

Saido Berahino had given England the lead on 12 minutes with a well taken finish, and England took this one-goal advantage into the break. However, Yokuslu Okay equalised on 52 minutes, before Berahino completed his brace with another convincing finish from inside the area. The lead lasted barely a minute as Artlin capitalised on a loose back pass to level matters once more. He scored the winner on 71 minutes, turning home Okay’s cross from the right.

Peacock made seven changes to the side which drew 1-1 with Italy on Wednesday. Jack Butland replaced Sam Johnstone in goal and Luke Garbutt and Nathaniel Chalobah were joined in defence by Liam Moore, making his first England start, and Tom Thorpe. Josh Rees and Jake Bidwell came into midfield for Josh McEachran and Ravel Morrison whilst Jake Fowler and Berahino replaced Benik Afobe and William Keane up front.

From the first whistle both sides attempted to play the ball around as much as possible and Turkey would have taken the lead in the opening minute but for a confident save from Butland. Okay chased a through ball into the area and although the angle was against him his attempt was firm and on target until Butland got down swiftly to repel the danger. And it was from through balls that Turkey looked most threatening for the remainder of the half, despite not being able to convert.

The hosts soon settled and their left flank initially carried the greater menace with Luke Garbutt and Bidwell combining well and earning a couple of early corners.

After an even opening period England took the lead on 12 minutes through Berahino and it was a wonderfully worked moved. Berahino’s West Brom team-mate, George Thorne, had chased Pehlivan Emre to the edge of the England box and won the ball with a well timed sliding tackle. Bidwell then executed a pinpoint left-to-right cross-field ball which found Fowler in space. He cut in-field, passing two Turkey defenders, before the ball broke to Chuks Aneke who threaded a weighted ball to Berahino. Taking the ball in his stride, the Baggies forward coolly fired the ball across Candemir Alican’s goal and into the far corner.

Turkey were not panicked by the setback and went about searching for the equaliser, spreading the play across midfield but sending ultimately harmless crosses into the box. Confident in possession, they often looked for the final ball in and around the 18-yard line and Butland was called into action on 30 minutes, this time to deal with a snapshot from Galis Taskin.

The visitors’ clearest opportunity came in injury time in the first half. Good work on the left from Yuce Hakan allowed him to deliver a delicious cross to the back post where Turk Hasan was lurking with intent. When his powerful header was parried well by Butland, for a moment it appeared Okay would equalise from close range, but Thorpe cleared off the line much to the relief of the England fans in attendance.

Ten minutes into the second half a loose pass from substitute Louis Laing might have presented Turkey with the equaliser had their own sub, Gurbuz Guney, been more composed in front of goal instead of dragging his shot wide. Barely two minutes later, however, and Turkey were level.

They had advanced to the right-hand by-line where Guney delivered a low, somewhat scuffed cross which Okay hooked back across goal. It may have been going wide but two unfortunate ricochets completely wrong-footed Butland and the ball crept into the corner of the net.

After this equaliser, Peacock’s side attempted to wrestle back the momentum but the game continued to ebb and flow without any real purpose until two goals in a minute sparked it back into life.

Where England’s left side had perhaps looked the more likely route to goal all evening, on 64 minutes, Berahino's - and England’s - second goal of the night came from the right. Some neat play from Thorne and Moore allowed the latter to find Berahino unmarked inside to the box. He took once touch to bring the ball under control and then smashed it beyond Alican.

However, almost immediately from the restart Turkey restored parity with Artlin benefiting from an under hit back pass from Moore. The Turkey forward collected the loose ball, rounded Butland and passed the ball into an empty net for 2-2.

Turkey then seized the initiative and Garbutt had to clear off the line from a corner, but Turkey did find a winner with just nine minutes remaining. The ball was worked through midfield until it found itself once more on the right hand side. This time it was Okay’s turn to provide the cross and Artlin was again on-hand to despatch.

England still had time to push for an equaliser of their own and another substitute, Bruno Pilatos, was almost the hero. Ravel Morrison stood a cross up at the back post where the Middlesbrough man had stole in unmarked, but his header was straight at Alican and the ‘keeper ensured it was Sudogan Ferhat’s side who left Northampton with all three points.

Next up for England is Portugal at Meadow Lane on Sunday afternoon.

England
13 Jack Butland, 3 Luke Garbutt (C), 4 George Thorne, 6 Nathaniel Chalobah (5 Louis Laing, 41), 8 Chuks Aneke (7 William Keane, 71), 12 Liam Moore, 14 Jake Bidwell (10 Ravel Morrison, 41), 15 Tom Thorpe, 16 Josh Rees, (2 Bruno Pilatos, 61), 17 Saido Berahino, 18 Jake Fowler (9 Benik Afobe, 61)

Substitute not used
1 Sam Johnstone

Head Coach
John Peacock

Turkey
1 Candemir Alican, 2 Kartal Erman, 4 Azgar Oguzhan, 5 Ozdamar Suleyman, 6 Gulden Bilal, 7 Turk Hasan, (10 Tekin Gagri, 54), 8 Yokuslu Okay, 9 Akcakin Artlin (3 Aydin Mahir, 80), 11 Pehlivan Emre (C) (16 Gurbuz Guney, 41), 13 Yuce Hakan, 15 Galis Taskin

Substitutes not used
12 Uysal M Alperen, 14  Gulcer Furkan Can, 17 Sayan Ilker, 18 Yardimci Baran

Head Coach
Sudogan Ferhat