ENGLAND under-21 completed the job expected of them with a 4-1 win over visiting Andorra in European Championship qualifying, at Vitality Stadium.
Folarin Balogun, Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Gibbs-White put the contest well out of sight by 60 minutes but Andorra’s Albert Rosas stunned home soil with an excellent solo goal.
Substitute Anthony Gordon capped off the night with a wicked volley at the back-post, just moments after coming off the bench.
The result meant Lee Carsley’s Young Lions picked up another three points towards qualification for the Georgia-Romania tournament in 2023.
England needed to play catch-up with Czech Republic, who were leading Group C and ahead of Carsley’s side in second-place by three points at the start of the day.
The Czech’s then defeated third-placed Albania to extend their gap at the top to six, although this was one of three England games in hand.
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot, Aston Villa’s Ramsey and Southampton’s Tino Livramento were among the Premier League regulars named in the starting XI.
It was Livramento’s clever ball into the front-post that saw the opening for England inside six minutes, with Arsenal youngster Balogun lifting smartly over the keeper.
Left-back Adrian Gomes was given a mammoth task to compete with Elliot and Livramento on the right-hand side and struggled. His torrid evening continued with a booking for a foul on the former, after losing the ball on the attack.
After a period of sustained pressure in which Andorra registered little more than 15% possession, Rodriguez Gimenez made a strong save to deny Morgan Gibbs-White.
It was little reprieve, with the ball falling to Ramsey on the edge of the area to power in on the rebound.
Gomes then had is night ended early in a sorry scene, switched out for substitute Joan Bellido after just 35 minutes – sparing him a likely red card.
The second-half followed the same trend with a silky run from PSV starlet Noni Madueke resulting in Balogun seeing his chance for a second goal saved low.
Unfortunately for Gimenez, Gibbs-White was lurking to tap in first-time from close-range.
That was to be the midfielder’s last meaningful contribution, as Curtis Jones entered the fray – the Liverpool starlet with 42 Premier League appearances displaying the depth in quality.
It was to be Andorra who would score next, though, and the goal of the night. Rosas snatched off Livramento, left him behind and tricked through Taylor Harwood-Bellis before sweeping superbly into the net.
Carsley responded with a first change and the introduction of 21-year-old Gordon, who has been one of Everton’s shining lights in a poor season.
The Toffees youngster scored twice last time out, during a 3-1 win over Czech Republic.
Livramento fired a looping ball over to the back-post and the substitute lashed it back across goal on the volley with one of his first touches as the finishing act.
England: Bursik; Livramento, Colwill, Harwood-Bellis, Thomas; Gibbs-White, Doyle, Ramsey (Gomes, 80); Madueke (Gordon, 70), Elliot, Balogun.
Unused subs: Spence, Cresswell, Johnson, Jones, Garner, Lewis-Potter, Rushworth (g/k)
Andorra: Gimenez, Alonso (Ruiz Haro, 87), Robinat Cuinas (Rodrigues, 70), Guillen, Pubill (Palou Roca, 70), Fernandez, Vales, Rosas (Silva, 87), Babot, Gomes (Bellido, 35), Remolins.
Unused subs: Rabelo, Bienert, Sola, Roma Barbero
Booked: Gomes, Robinat Cuinas, Guillen
Referee: Jasmin Sabotic
Attendance: 8,852
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