England Under-21s must wait despite emphatic win

Posted Saturday, June 02, 2018 by PA

England Under-21s claimed a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Qatar but finished second in their group at the Toulon Tournament and must await their qualifying fate.

Two-times defending champions England saw off China 2-1 in their group opener before a goalless draw with group winners Mexico, who qualified thanks to a 3-1 win over China on Friday.

The Young Lions began to dominate early on and Tammy Abraham came close following a corner after just nine minutes, but fired wide before – seven minutes later – sending another close-range effort just over the crossbar.

Qatar had their first half-chance of note midway through the first half but Dael Fry headed a dangerous corner to safety, while, at the other end, England took the lead after Ahmed Suhail glanced Lukas Nmecha’s header into his own net after 38 minutes.

Ronaldo Vieira doubled the score after 53 minutes and Chelsea’s Abraham added a third moments later to put the Young Lions in sight of progressing.

Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong added a fourth for Aidy Boothroyd’s side after 67 minutes and though England failed to advance as Group A winners, they could still reach the semi-finals as the best-performing second-placed team – dependent on results from group B on Saturday.