Omari Hutchinson and Jaden Philogene were both on target and Liam Delap also added to his caps as England’s U21s beat Portugal 4-2 in a friendly at the Hawthorns.
Hutchinson, winning his fourth U21s cap, started for Lee Carsley’s side despite his red card in Friday’s friendly in France, while Philogene and Delap were on the bench.
The 21-year-old began the game as the central striker with Carsley’s options for that role limited and Delap having begun the French friendly, which ended 5-3 to the home side.
On 17, with England already in a 2-0 lead, Hutchinson looped the ball over the advanced Portuguese keeper from the edge of the area but a defender was able to clear off the line. Two minutes later, he forced a save, albeit not too taxing a stop.
Delap and Philogene, playing their 12th and ninth games at this level respectively, were introduced on 70 and both had an immediate impact, the former Villa man teeing-up Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton for a shot from the edge of the box, then winning a free-kick not far outside the area.
On 74, a towering Delap from a deep corner from the left was batted away by the visitors’ keeper, then a Philogene shot was deflected wide.
From the resultant corner, Hutchinson scored. The ball was sent in deep from the right and was headed back to the edge of the six-yard box from where the former Chelsea youngster nodded his second U21s goal to make the scoreline 3-1.
In the 79th minute, Hutchinson, more effective having moved from the unfamiliar central striker’s role, and Philogene combined on the right of the area to create what would have been a tap-in for Manchester City’s James McAtee had a Portuguese foot not intervenes.
A minute later, a Philogene shot was blocked, then Delap’s rebound flew miles wide, before Hutchinson carved out a chance for the Town striker with a tricky run on the right of the box but the ball was taken away from the Blues’ top scorer as he was about to add the final touch.
After Delap was booked for a foul, Philogene completed the evening’s scoring as the game moved into injury time, cutting in from the left and curling a low shot inside the far post, the 22-year-old’s fourth goal for the England U21s.
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