VIDEO: Portugal edge out England
Sunday, 02 September, 2012
The Portuguese U17 team win the SGP International Tournament
By James Marshall in Burton
Portugal beat England 1-0 at Burton to win the St George's Park International U17 Tournament.
Substitute Goncalo Guedes scored the only goal of the game early in the second half but was later sent off as full-time appraoched.
England started off the better of the two sides with Alex Kiwomya causing the Portugese problems early on with his pace. England's best chance in the opening ten minutes came from good link up play on the right hand side between Charlie Colkett and Callam Jones, with Jones providing an excellent ball for Dan Crowley who struck his shot just over the bar.
John Peacock's side dominated the first half but couldn't find a way through Portugal's well organised defence with Smith-Brown, Ojo and Kiwomya all having only half chances.
The best chance of the first half fell to Jones who was very unlucky not to break the deadlock. Colkett and Crowley produced some fantastic one touch football to set Jones through but the Portugese goalkeeper Joao Costa saved well from close range.
England had to keep their concentration despite having most of the pocession throughout the first 40 minutes, with Portugal's No.9 Postiga a constant threat when in and around the penalty area.
Despite all of England's possession in the first half it was the visitors who took the lead on 46 minutes. A dinked ball by Guedes over the top of the defence deceived both Postiga and the English defence, as well as substitute goalkeeper Callum Burton, and the ball eventually trickled through his legs into an empty net.
Peacock made wholesale changes in the second half as his side sought an equaliser.
The Young Lions best effort of the second half fell to substitute Jerome Sinclair whose tricky work on the left hand side enabled him to get a decent shot away but Costa produced a fine save.
Guedes went from hero to villain as he was sent off after getting his second yellow card five minutes from time for a cynical foul on Conor Hunte.
England pressed and probed in injury time and Birmingham City's Reece Brown nearly grabbed a last-minute equaliser with a spectacular effort but to no avail and Portugal held on to win the St George's Park International Tournament.