FOLARIN BALOGUN’S first-half injury capped an embarrassing night for England as they were battered in Batumi.
Young Lions boss Lee Carsley rang the changes for this fact-finding friendly at one of the host venues for the Under-21 Euros in two years’ time.
But he left with a lot more than just Georgia on his mind as his reserves cracked under the pressure in a hostile atmosphere.
Losing Arsenal striker Balogun – one of only two players who started in Thursday’s excellent 3-1 qualifier win over Czech Republic in Burnley – with what looked like a hamstring issue compounded the misery.
Georgia striker Giorgi Guliashvili netted two crackers before his full-back namesake Giorgi Gocholeishvili added a sublime, solo third.
Balogun’s replacement Sam Greenwood scored his first Young Lions goal late on, before sub Marc Guehi also headed home four minutes into injury time, but the late goals merely flattered Carsley’s side.
England were lucky not to go down to ten men as well with Leeds defender Charlie Cresswell fortunate to escape a second yellow card after the break.
There were warning signs for Carsley’s side early on with goals only prevented by last-gasp interventions from Clinton Mola and Cody Drameh.
Then on 24 minutes they fell behind as a corner was not cleared properly and when the ball looped up outside the area, there was Saburtalo striker Guliashvili to crash home a volley.
England almost equalised ten minutes later with a blistering counter-attack as Morgan Gibbs-White and Angel Gomes linked up to play in Rhian Brewster.
Yet the luckless Sheffield United forward, after doing the hard part to shrug off a challenge in the box, fired wide of the post.
Balogun then pulled up lame and, after sitting on his haunches for some time, walked off gingerly to be replaced by Leeds kid Greenwood.
England made a nightmare start to the second half as Guliashvili fired clinically past Etienne Green, having been played through by the marauding Gocholeishvili.
Cresswell then got himself booked for an angry shove on George Gagua which sparked a few handbags.
The Leeds defender should have received his marching orders when going through the back of Gagua later, but Turkish ref Zorbay Kucuk was kind.
A horrorshow for Carsley’s men was complete when Gocholeishvili made it 3-0 on 65 minutes.
He nutmegged Luke Thomas as he raced in from the right and then was afforded the freedom of the England penalty area before firing into the far corner.
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England finally showed some bite in front of goal as Mola headed Tommy Doyle’s corner goalwards and it went in off Greenwood’s back with nine minutes to play.
Sub Guehi then improved the scoreline further for the visitors as he headed home from another corner deep into stoppage time.
But it did not mask what was a poor evening for Carsley, even if he was largely playing his understudies.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
