England MU18s brought their year to a close with a 1-0 victory over Czech Republic in Pinatar on Monday afternoon.
Ian Foster’s Young Lions edged the last of their three games in Spain this month, thanks to Noni Madueke’s first-half goal.
And the margin could’ve been far wider too, with England creating a number of chances to have extended the scoreline against a Czech team who were content to sit back and allow Foster’s side to control the ball.
Before Madueke’s goal, which was a strike fit to win any game as the PSV youngster curled home a shot from the edge of the area, the Young Lions had two golden opportunities to open the scoring in the first 15 minutes with two penalties.
But unfortunately for striker Jay Stansfield, he found Adam Stejskal in good form in the Czech goal as he saved both of the Fulham player’s spot kicks.
England enjoyed more chances after the break, but couldn’t find a second goal and they were almost made to pay for that in the last minute when a rare Czech effort was cleared off the line.
The result means Foster head home after a win against Russia last week and a 4-4 draw with Norway at the weekend, and his squad remain unbeaten in their nine games so far this season as they head into 2020 and towards their next games in March.
England: 13 Hubert Graczyk (Arsenal), 2 Luke Matheson (Rochdale), 3 Dennis Cirkin (Tottenham Hotspur), Jeriel Dorsett (Reading), 7 Noni Madueke (PSV Eindhoven), 8 Yunus Musah (Valencia), 15 Dynel Simeu (Chelsea), 16 Joe White (Newcastle United), 18 Alex Mighten (Nottingham Forest), 19 Jay Stansfield (Fulham), 20 James McAtee (Manchester City).
Substitutes: 11 Morgan Rogers (Manchester City) for Mighten 46, 4 Miguel Azeez (Arsenal) for White 46, 10 Cole Palmer (Manchester City) for McAtee 46, 9 Sam Greenwood (Arsenal) for Stansfield 46, 17 Jeremy Sarmiento (Benfica) for Madueke 46, 6 Nathan Wood (Middlesbrough) for Cirkin 84, 14 Jensen Weir (Wigan Athletic) for Musah 84
Substitutes not used: 1 Nathan Broome (Stoke City), 12 Joshua Wilson-Esbrand (Manchester City), 22 Oliver Bosworth (Leicester City).
Head coach: Ian Foster
Goals: Noni Madueke 36
