LEE CARSLEY’S Young Lions signed off for this summer’s Under-21 Euros on a downer.
This was the last friendly before the squad is announced for June’s finals in Georgia and Romania.
But none of the England team starting at Craven Cottage last night did their case for inclusion any favours with a disappointing defeat.
A promising opening was undone by Martin Baturina’s sublime free-kick ahead of the break, before Dion Drena Beljo’s penalty shortly after it.
Sub Morgan Gibbs-White won and converted a late penalty to reduce the arrears in front of the watching Gareth Southgate.
This fixture brought memories screaming back of the final group game at the last Under-21 Euros.
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England needed to win by two clear goals and hope the other group’s result went their way to sneak into the quarter-finals two years ago.
It was all going their way until Aidy Boothroyd’s men had their hearts broken by a long-ranger stunner from Croatia’s left-back in injury-time.
Boothroyd’s side were too often reliant on a piece of individual brilliance but Carsley’s team are much better at creating chances, as they did in Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of France.
Carsley made ten changes for this clash, with Noni Madueke, Curtis Jones and Jacob Ramsey – all scorers off the bench against Les Bleus – in from the beginning.
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Defenders Rico Lewis and Nathan Wood were also handed debuts.
England dominated the early proceedings, with Cole Palmer providing their best chance of the first half as he cut back for Jones who saw his shot repelled at the near post.
But then the visitors took the lead against the run of play – and what a goal it was.
Lewis was booked for stopping a rampaging run from Lukas Kacavenda 25 yards out.
Dinamo Zagreb’s Baturina then curled the free-kick home with David Beckham-esque accuracy into the top corner.
England responded by moving Jones, who had been deployed at false nine, out wide and Madueke put through the middle, but it had limited success.
Carsley was getting creative given the man he really would have liked to have deployed through the middle, Flo Balogun, was absent and may not be coming back.
The Arsenal whizkid, having a sensational season on loan in France with Reims, pulled out of the squad with a tight hamstring.
But he has since been spotted in the US, for whom he is also eligible and who are doing their level best to convince him to switch allegiances.
Things got worse shortly after half-time when Luke Thomas was caught out of position by a good pass and then hauled down Matija Frigan in the box.
It was about as nailed-on a penalty as you are likely to see, and goalkeeper Josh Griffiths, on at half-time for his debut, could do nothing to keep out Beljo’s spot-kick.
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Gibbs-White did ensure England did score when rolling home the penalty he had won in the 86th minute after being taken out by the goalkeeper.
It was not a bad display overall – but one that will serve as a warning for when the real stuff begins in Georgia in just over two months.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
