VIDEO: U20s sunk in Shrewsbury
Wednesday, 09 February, 2011
England's U20s beaten 2-1 by France after going a goal up.
Matt Phillips in Shrewsbury
Click here to watch video highlights of the game.
England's first warm up game for the U20 FIFA World Cup ended in defeat as France came from behind to stun the Young Lions at Shrewsbury Town.
It had all started so brightly for Brian Eastick's charges with Watford's Marvin Sordell side-footing home the opener after just 11 minutes.
But Clement Grenier smashed home a first half equaliser before Alexandre Lacazette sealed the win just after the hour mark.
The game was always going to be a stern test for England with France fielding eight players who lifted the U19 European Championship in Normandy last summer.
But it was England who had the better of the early exchanges with Blackpool's Matt Phillips surging down the right before shooting over the bar from just outside the box.
And moments later Phillips helped set up the opening goal on the 11 minute mark for Sordell.
The Blackpool midfielder powered his way down the right flank and, under pressure, managed to square a ball into the box for Sordell to slot home a debut England goal.
Phillips then swapped over to the left flank and caused more havoc for the French backline and could have doubled England's lead but just failed to capitalise on a one-two with Hull City's Cameron Stewart.
But France showed their European champion pedigree seven minutes before the break when Lyon's Clement Grenier played a one-two on the edge of the box with Griezmann before smashing home a right-foot shot from 20 yards.
The goal lifted France's spirit and they nearly made it 2-1 with just seconds left in the first half but Blackburn's Jake Kean saved well at the feet of Gilles Sunu.
France made five substitutions at half-time and it was another Lyon midfielder who would eventually turn the tide in favour of Les Bleus.
Grenier's team-mate, Alexandre Lacazette, came off the bench and fired in the winner on 64 minutes to send France home victorious.
The diminutive midfielder hit a powerful right foot shot that cannoned against Coventry's Nathan Cameron inside the penalty area and wrong-footed Kean in the England goal.
France could have made it 3-1 towards the end with Mavinga going close with a header and Tafer failing to capitalise when through on goal with just Kean to beat.
So a defeat for England but Brian Eastick and his backroom staff can take plenty of positives from the game as the Young Lions countdown to the FIFA U20 World Cup in Colombia this July.
England
1. Jake Kean (13. James Severn, 82mins), 2. Reece Brown, 3. Jordan Clarke, 4. Jordan Mutch, (14. James Wallace, 82mins), 5. Reece Wabara, 6. Nathan Cameron, 7. Matt Phillips, 8. Dean Parrett (Capt), 9. Marvin Sordell (12. Adam Smith, 62mins), 10. Cameron Stewart (16. Jason Lowe, 46mins), 11. Josh Morris (15. Ryan Mason, 70mins).
France
1. Pierrick Cros (16. Benjamin Lecomte, 46mins), 2. Loic Nego (11. Maxime Collin, 46mins) 3. Chris Mavinga, 4. Johan Martial (5. Sebastien Faure, 46mins) 6. Clement Grenier (12. Alexandre Lacazette, 46mins), 7. Antoine Griezmann (14. Timothee Kolodziejczak, 46mins) 8. Gueida Fofana (Capt), 9. Yannis Tafer, 10. Gilles Sunu, 13. Francis Coquelin (15. Enzo Reale, 60mins) 18. Gaetan Bussman (17. Cedric Bakambu, 46mins).