Lions hit Finland for five
Tuesday, 03 August, 2010
Adil Nabi and Adam Morgan each score twice in Nordic opener.
by Glenn Lavery
A brace each for Liverpool's Adam Morgan, on his England debut, and West Brom's Adil Nabi helped guide England to a comfortable 5-0 dismissal of Finland in the opening match of this year's Nordic Tournament.
Morgan gave Kenny Swain's side the lead after 18 minutes in emphatic fashion, firing home from 25 yards after being teed up by Nabi's chest pass. On the stroke of half-time, England captain Jake Caskey, following in the footsteps of his father Darren, who skippered the England U18 side in 1993, doubled the advantage with a neat finish, latching on to a chipped through ball from another debutant Jasper Johns.
Midway through the second half, two quick-fire Nabi goals put the result beyond doubt. On 66 minutes the Baggies midfielder headed home Caskey left-wing cross before lifting Morgan's pass over Finnish 'keeper Daniel Kollar just a minute later.
Morgan demonstrated predatory instinct on 78 minutes to complete the scoring, following up substitute Nathan Redmond's shot to slot home.
A five-goal victory is a fine return for this new batch of U17 internationals, seven of whom are receiveing their first taste of international tournament football.
England play their second Nordic Tournament match tomorrow when they take on Denmark.
England
1 George Willis, 2 Tyias Browning, 3 Jasper Johns, 4 John Lundstram, 5 Adam Jackson, 6 Ellis Plummer (18 Courtney Mepphen Walters, 74), 8 Jake Caskey (C) (15 James Ward Prowse, 66), 11 Alex Henshall (9 Matthias Fanimo, 71), 12 Louis Hutton, 14 Adam Morgan, 16 Adil Nabi (7 Nathan Redmond, 71)
Substitutes not used 10 Max Clayton, 13 Shane Lewis, 17 Sam Magri