England U16s see off Scotland in Victory Shield encounter

Steve Cooper’s Young Lions wrapped up their Shield campaign at Yeovil Town’s Huish Park with a second win in the competition. 

Goals in either half from Arsenal’s Joe Willock and Chelsea’s Martell Taylor-Crossdale, sandwiching Jack Thomson’s leveller for the Scots, capped a good night for England. 

However, it was not enough to claim the trophy after Wales had earlier secured their first Victory Shield outright win in 66 years by beating Northern Ireland 2-0. 

It was Scotland, coached by former Nottingham Forest midfielder Scot Gemmill, who enjoyed the early exchanges and carved out a couple opportunities to work Taye Ashby-Hammond. 

First the Fulham stopper snuffed out a chance for Zak Rudden, sliding at the feet of the Rangers forward to get the ball away. 

Moments later he was down low to parry when Liam Burt drove down the left and fired goalwards. Arsenal's Tolaji Bola hooked the loose ball clear. 

But England soon started to impose themselves, and in particular the trickery of West Brom's Jon Leko was easy on the eye. 

And it was his run and pass to Willock that set up the first goal for Cooper's boys. 

Willock received the pass 20 yards from goal, his first touch was sweet, clipping over the challenge of the Scottish defender. 

It allowed him a little space, but he took his time, looking for more room, before smashing goalwards. 

Martell Taylor-Crossdale celebrates against Scotland

The shot gave Aidan McAdams little chance as it found the bottom corner and England were one up. 

Reiss Nelson came close with a free-kick following a foul on Leko shortly after, then Leko again showed a clean pair of heels to his marker on the right and fired across the six-yard box. The decisive touch was not forthcoming, though. 

The second-half was only five minutes old when Scotland drew level. 

Liam Burt was fouled 20 yards from goal and when Jack Adamson's free-kick struck the bar, substitute Thomson was on hand quickest to tuck away the rebound.

One of England's half-time substitutes Martell Taylor-Crossdale came close to putting England back in front almost instantly, but was denied by McAdams from close-range.

The 14-year-old Chelsea forward came out on top next time, however, when he put the Young Lions back in front in the 52nd minute. 

Picking up a pass over the top, he looked isolated on the right-hand side of the box, but a neat shimmy left Daniel Baur in his wake before he fired left-footed across McAdams and inside the upright.

Taylor-Crossdale was left scratching his head with the hour-mark approaching. A quick one-two with Vashon Neufville on the left and the West Ham defender cut-back for the goalscorer who side-footed from six yard, but McAdams was equal to it. 

In an almost identical move, this time between Andre Dozzell and Nelson, the latter sent his effort over the bar.

At the other end, Ashby-Hammond pulled off a magnificent save at full-stretch to prevent Rudden from levelling with a well-placed effort inside the England box. 

And it ensured the Young Lions ended their Victory Shield campaign with two wins from the three outings.

England (4-2-1-3): 1 Taye Ashby-Hammond (Fulham); 2 Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea) (c), 3 Vashon Neufville (West Ham United), 5 Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham Hotspur), 6 Tolaji Bola (Arsenal); 4 Callum Slattery (Southampton), 8 Charlie Gilmour (Arsenal); 10 Joe Willock (Arsenal); 7 Jon Leko (West Bromwich Albion), 9 Dan N'Lundulu (Southampton), 11 Reiss Nelson (Arsenal)

Subs: 12 Martell Taylor-Crossdale (Chelsea) for 9 N'Lundulu ht, 14 Andre Dozzell (Ipswich Town) for 8 Gilmour ht, 16 Tom Bashiru (Manchester City)
for 7 Leko 64, 17 Adam Lewis (Liverpool) for 10 Willock 64, 15 Mason Mount (Chelsea) for 2 Chalobah 64

Subs not used: 13 Connor King (Burnley), 18 Diego Lattie (Manchester City)

Coach: Steve Cooper

Goals: Willock 27, Taylor-Crossdale 52

Scotland (4-3-3): 1 Aidan McAdams (Celtic); 2 Kieran Freeman (Dundee United), 3 Dan Meredith (West Bromwich Albion), 4 Daniel Baur (Hearts), 5 Tony Gallacher (Falkirk); 6 Liam Burt (Rangers), 8 Jamie Barjonas (Rangers), 16 Kristi Marku (Celtic); 15 Zak Rudden (Rangers), 9 Jack Aitchison (Celtic), 11 Jack Adamson (Hibernian)

Subs: 13 Jack Thomson (Rangers) for 8 Barjonas ht, 7 Connor McLennan (Aberdeen) for 9 Aitchison 56, 10 Lee Connelly (Queens Park),for 16 Marku 63, 14 Glenn Middleton (Norwich City) for 6 Burt 74

Coach: Scott Gemmill

Goal: Thomson 46

Attendance: 4,733