England picked up their first two points of the UEFA U16 Development Tournament after beating a stubborn Slovakia side on penalties at St. George's Park.
Chelsea keeper Jared Thompson, who was only brought into the squad a day earlier, made two decisive saves from the spot to clinch victory for Steve Cooper's Young Lions.
After a narrow 3-2 defeat to Switzerland in their opening game, Cooper will be encouraged by the performance of his side. They were dominant for long periods of the game playing some fluid football, but could not convert their chances.
England 0-0 Slovakia
(England win 4-3 on penalties)
UEFA U16s Development Tournament
Wednesday, 18 February
St. George's Park
It was the Slovakians, however; who created the first clear opening when David Filinksy sent a free header over the bar. But after 15 minutes England burst in to life with a flowing move that saw the Slovakian keeper deny Anthony Scully after a neat one-two with Tyrese Campbell.
It gave them the impetus needed and they soon carved out another opportunity. The impressive Manchester City youngster Sadou Dially produced a delicate chip over the top of the Slovakia defence to find Scully, but he could not quite connect properly, lifting the ball over the bar.
England continued to enjoy long spells of possession in the second half, with both Dujon Sterling and Jonathan Leko proving a constant menace for Slovakia down the right hand side.
But a combination of a strong Slovakian defence and the lack of a final pass kept England frustrated.
Jonathan Leko in action at St. George's Park
England did have the ball in the back of the net early in the second period, only for it to be ruled out after the referee had already blown for a foul.
With ten minutes remaining the breakthrough looked certain to arrive when Leko created England’s best chance of the half.
Driving down the right hand side he fizzed a ball across the six yard box, only to see it to evade the three incoming men in white.
It could have been worse for England when Slovakia threatened on the break, but Jaden Brown made a superb block and kept their clean sheet intact.
Mason Mount, Martell Taylor-Crossdale, Trevoh Chalobah and Brown all notched from 12 yards for England, while Slovakia's first three penalties also found the back of the net.
And it was Thompson's two saves that ensured England's victory.
England (4-3-3): 1 Jared Thompson (Chelsea); 2 Dujon Sterling (Chelsea), 5 Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea) (c), 14 Lewis Thompson (Manchester United), 15 Jaden Brown (Tottenham Hotspur), 7 Sadou Diallo (Manchester City), 4 Andre Dozzell (Ipswich Town), 19 Anthony Scully (West Ham United), 12 Jonathan Leko (WBA), 18 Okera Simmonds (Liverpool), 20 Tyrese Campbell (Manchester City)
Substitutes: 9 Martell Taylor-Crossdale (Chelsea) on for Campbell 65, 10 Mason Mount (Chelsea) on for Dozzell 65, 11 Keanen Bennetts (Tottenham Hotspur) on for Leko 65
Substitutes not used: 13 Matthew Yates (Derby County), 16 Edward Francis (Manchester City), 6 Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur), 3 Vashon Neufville (West Ham United), 8 Callum Slattery (Southampton), 17 Mackenzie Heaney (Newcastle United)
Coach: Steve Cooper
Slovakia: 12 Robert Balazi, 3 Dominik Spiriak, 4 Denis Petro, 13 Matej Mosko (C), 2 Michal Kralovic, 15 David Kocik, 6 Richard Bedats, 7 Martin Koval, 16 David Filinsky, 19 Juraj Timko, 20 Michal Tomic
Substitutes: 5 David Spak of for Tomic 68, 8 Samuel Kozlovsky on for Petro 52, 9 Robert Bozinek on for Timko 46, 10 Adam Fronc on for Kocik 68, 11 Martin Bednar on for Filinsky 46, 14 Jakub Kudlicka on for Bedats 62, 17 Matej Gresak on for Koval 46, 18 Martin Vician on for Kralovic
Substitutes not used: 1 Frederik Valach Coach: Ladislav Hudec
Referee: Joseph Johnson
