ENGLAND under-16s head coach Kenny Swain said he would love his young Lions to be showcased again at Dean Court despite succumbing to a surprise defeat at the hands of Northern Ireland.

Portadown born Shay Conaty’s 71st-minute header proved enough for the visitors to secure victory in front of a crowd of 2,810 on Friday evening, throwing the tournament’s overall standings wide open going into the concluding fixtures.

Swain, who publicly thanked Cherries chairman Jeff Mostyn prior to Friday’s encounter, declared his delight at bringing his side to Dorset.

England’s boss told the Daily Echo: “I’d love to come back here with any team, it’s been a fantastic oc-casion,”

“It’s a fabulous stadium and although every-body thought the facilities were wonderful and the pitch was brilliant, I felt the warmth of the area and the club in particular. There are a lot of lovely people working there.”

On his side’s defeat, Swain added: “We’re never happy when we lose, nobody is happy when they lose, but it doesn’t change what we thought at the start of the game.

“Overall I thought the Irish deserved the victory but it’s all part of the ride and I’ll be here with the players for the next part of it.”

Swain decided to look at an almost entirely different squad to the group that won 1-0 against Wales last time out and handed international debuts to a whole host of youngsters.

England and Tottenham prospect Marcus Edwards stood out and showed his potential throughout the game in an attacking midfield role. His best chance came when he rifled into the side netting on 39 minutes after beating three defenders on the edge of the penalty area.

Middlesbrough’s Hayden Coulson also looked lively when he surged forward from left-back, starting a neat move that eventually saw West Ham’s Jahmal Hector-Ingram fire over from close range.

Andre Green also saw his well-struck free-kick clip the top of the cross bar, but the young Lions could not make their chances pay against a robust Northern Ireland defence.

Conaty’s decisive goal came in between two fearful injuries to England’s Joshua Murray and Northern Ireland captain Nathan Kerr. Both players received lengthy treatment and were stretchered off in the second half with suspected broken legs.

The fixture was the second international hosted at Dean Court this season after England’s Women team produced an emphatic 6-0 victory against Belarus back in September.

England: McCulloch, Arnold, Coulson, Diallo (Kane, h-t), Assiana (Murray h-t, K Edwards, 62), Johnson, Maddox (Muskwe, 62), Gribbin, Hector-Ingram, M Edwards, Green (Nchema, 62) Unused subs: Ashby-Hammond, Vann.