Unfortunately I was not able to watch the game, nor was I able to follow the Twenty20 cricket for that matter, but it is widely acknowledged that England did not get off to the best of starts at the European U21 championships in Sweden – but at least they picked up the pts with a 2-1 win over Finland.
It is not even worth me attempting to make much comment on the game having not seen it, or attempt a match report, but goals from Wigan’s Lee Cattermole after 15 minutes and Citeh’s Micah Richards – who would make a good player for Pompey I reckon, despite not progressing as had been expected! – after 53 were scored either side of a penalty from Tim Sparv, a former player for the lot down the road, on 33 minutes.
Martin Cranie, who continues to be a feature for the England U21’s despite not get much of a look-in at Pompey – which given who he was up against was understandable – again started at right back but when Chelski’s Michael Mancienne was sent off he moved into the middle.
By all accounts he had a solid game too?
The next game for the Young Lions will be on Thursday when we face Spain, and to get anything from that we would appear to have to show improvement – something that Stuart Pearce knows: ‘I thought we showed courage, that’s what we showed. We were oozing courage, oozing commitment and oozing character. That’s what we have got.
‘Did we play good enough? A million miles off from it. Well enough to trouble this tournament? No. I’ve just told them that. They know it, they are honest and that’s why they have turned around a situation where they were down to 10 men at half-time.’
See the rest of his thoughts in this sky sports video, and Pearce does talk up Cranie and his performane…
PLAY UP POMPEY & THE YOUNG LIONS!
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