Blues midfielder Josh Carson won his seventh Northern Ireland U21 cap but it was his former Town team-mate Connor Wickham who made the headlines as he scored England’s first goal in their 2-0 victory at Bloomfield Road.
Sunderland frontman Wickham, who has scored three goals in his last four games for the U21s, headed England’s opener just before half-time. Benik Afobe added the second from the penalty spot with 15 minutes remaining.
Carson, who has also won four senior caps, played the full 90 minutes for Northern Ireland.
Elsewhere, academy second-year scholar Jonny Leddy, a midfielder, was a 68th minute sub as the Republic of Ireland U18s lost 1-0 to Switzerland in the first of two away friendlies earlier this evening. The teams meet again on Thursday.
England U21s: Amos (Steele 46), Smith (Clyne 61), Wisdom (Maguire 61), Lees, Robinson (Moore 84), Henderson (Chalobah 77), McEachran (Hughes 66), Townsend (Afobe 61), Powell, Ince (Waghorn 77), Wickham.
Unused: Johnstone.
Northern Ireland U21s: Devlin (Glendinning 77), Hodson (C McLaughlin 46), Flanagan (McEleney 46), Thompson (Hegarty 77), McKeown (Donnelly 85), Lund (McAlinden 77), Winchester (Gorman 61), Clucas (Morgan 67), P McLaughlin, Carson, Magennis (Boyce 77).