A brace apiece from Rhian Brewster and Phil Foden helped England defeat Czech Republic in their opening UEFA European U17 elite round qualifier.
Liverpool forward Brewster broke the deadlock after just nine minutes and Manchester City livewire Foden doubled the lead almost immediately after.
Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White made it 3-0 after just quarter of an hour and Steve Cooper’s side looked home and hosed – but Matej Majka reduced arrears just before the break.
Brewster nabbed his second shortly after the restart only for Majka to follow suit and make it 4-2.
Foden bagged the Young Lions’ fifth and although Pavel Hezoucky closed the deficit with just four minutes remaining, England held on comfortably for an opening-day win.
Their second qualifier is against Slovenia on Saturday afternoon before they face host nation Bosnia next Tuesday.
The top-placed nation in each of the eight groups and the seven best runners-up will advance to the finals in Croatia in May.
England: 1 Thomas McGill (Brighton & Hove Albion), 4 George McEachran (Chelsea), 5 Marc Guehi (capt; Chelsea), 6 Jonathan Panzo (Chelsea), 7 Phil Foden (Manchester City), 9 Rhian Brewster (Liverpool), 10 Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea), 11 Jadon Sancho (Manchester City), 14 Morgan Gibbs-White (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 15 Steven Sessegnon (Fulham), 17 Kane Wilson (West Bromwich Albion).
Substitutes: 8 Nya Kirby (Crystal Palace) for Hudson-Odoi 67, 16 Daniel Loader (Reading) for Foden 69, 12 Tashon Oakley-Booth (Tottenham Hotspur) for Sancho 72.
Substitutes not used: 13 Josef Bursik (AFC Wimbledon), 2 Timothy Eyoma (Tottenham Hotspur), 3 Lewis Gibson (Newcastle United), 18 Stephen Walker (Middlesbrough).
Goals: Brewster 9, 46, Foden 11, 66, Gibbs-White 15.
Head coach: Steve Cooper
