Gareth Southgate’s excellent England U21s hammered Lithuania 5-0 at Portman Road to go top of their Euro 2015 qualifying group. Ravel Morrison (2), Saido Berahino (2) and James Ward-Prowse scored the goals as the England youngsters dominated from start to finish and fully deserved their comfortable victory in front of a crowd of 17,067.
It took Southgate’s men only two minutes to go in front. Tottenham’s Tom Carroll, who is currently on loan at QPR, played in Wilfried Zaha on the left and the Manchester United man cut the ball across the edge of the six-yard box towards Morrison. The West Ham man diverted it past Lithuanian keeper Lukas Lidakevcius, who was under pressure from Berahino, who just failed to add a touch.
As expected England dominated — skipper Jack Butland was a spectator in goal - but didn’t really seriously test the visiting keeper again until the 20th minute when Zaha cut in from the left but failed to get in a clean strike and Lidakevicius claimed. Four minutes later, Southampton’s Ward-Prowse curled a shot over from 25 yards.
On 27 the Saints midfielder made it 2-0 with a superb 25-yard freekick which he curled round the wall and into the net after a twisting and turning Morrison had been fouled.
England were well worth their lead at the break having dominated, although perhaps without creating quite the number of clear cut opportunities they should have given their huge share of the possession, largely in the Lithuania half.
Front four Zaha, Berahino, Morrison and Tom Ince were always a threat with their pace, flicks, twists and turns.
The second half started in much the same manner as the first had ended, Ince sending in an early cross which Berahino headed over from six yards.
Tomas Birskys, who moments earlier had picked up the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Nathaniel Chalobah, hit Lithuania’s first shot in the 58th minute but wide, then three minutes later Ince almost made it 3-0 with a curling left-footed strike from the right which wasn’t far away from the top corner.
The third goal wasn’t too much longer in coming. Zaha brought the ball forward down the middle and fed Berahino to his left, the West Brom man curling into the corner from just inside the box.
Soon after, Berahino forced Lidakevicius to save low down, then the visitors’ keeper did well to tip Ince’s header over.
On 71 Morrison added the fourth and his second when he waltzed between two Lithuanian defenders before rounding the keeper and tapping home from a tight angle.
The Lithuanians were looking a well-beaten side and the only question was how many goals Southgate’s bright and still hungry-looking England side would score.
Berahino made it 5-0 in the 75th minute from the penalty spot, slamming the ball to Lidakevicius’s left and into the corner of the net after Jack Robinson had been fouled as he broke into the box on the England left.
Ward-Prowse wasn’t far away from his second goal from a freekick in the 80th minute but saw the ball fly narrowly over. A minute later, Zaha shot over having cut in from the left after a Nick Powell cross from the right had flashed across the six-yard box.
Moments later, Zaha and Morrison had to be pulled apart by their team-mates as they argued in the wake of a freekick.
Ward-Prowse smashed a strike against the post from the edge of the box on 84 after good work from Zaha on the left, then Morrison shot over before the Manchester United winger forced the keeper to punch his strike away in a less than comfortable manner.
Southgate’s lively and entertaining side could easily have won by more against poor opposition but had to settle for five.
The large Portman Road crowd will have been sent home happy and very impressed by the England youngsters.
England U21s: Butland (c), Stones, Robinson, Carroll (Jenkinson 16), Chalobah, Keane, Ince (Redmond 76), Ward-Prowse, Berahino (Powell 76), Morrison, Zaha. Unused: Bond, Dier, Lingard, Kane.
Lithuania U21s: Lidakevicius, Beneta, Girdvainis, Zarskis, Gunevic, Zukauskas, Ribokas (Snapkauskas 86), Norvilas (Verbickas 68), Kiselevskis, Birskys, Spalvis (Laukzemis 74). Unused: Svedkauskas, Verbickas, Artimavicius, Dapkus, Sendzikas. Referee Adrien Jaccottet (Switzerland). 17,066.