Ethan Nwaneri marked his first start by scoring as England Under-21s triumphed over Portugal in a thrilling friendly at The Hawthorns, according to BBC Sport. Midfielder Hayden Hackney put England ahead before Nwaneri, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday, expertly placed a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, making it 2-0 within the first 10 minutes. Portugal nearly scored while the game was still tied and eventually found the net through captain Fabio Silva, who converted Rodrigo Pinheiro’s cross from close range just past the midway point of the first half. They could have leveled just before halftime, but Pedro Santos hit the post, following an incident where Silva thought he was fouled by England goalkeeper James Beadle. Both teams had opportunities after the break, but the next goal didn’t come until the 76th minute when Omari Hutchinson scored with a close-range header, increasing England’s lead. Portugal responded again when Carlos Forbs scored from close range after his initial shot was blocked, just five minutes from the end. As the visitors sought an equalizer, Jaden Philogene secured the victory for England with a composed finish during stoppage time after a quick counter-attack. Lee Carsley fielded several changes in his squad during this international period as he evaluates his options ahead of the European Under-21 Championship. The matches have been quite exciting, with England both scoring and conceding seven goals in their recent games against France and Portugal.
