England Under-21s’ Duncan Watmore delighted with match-winning display

The Young Lions were trailing in the Euro2017 qualifying fixture before they rallied to score three goals in the last ten minutes of the game.

Sunderland starlet Watmore was involved in all three goals as he won the penalty for James Ward-Prowse’s equaliser, scored the second and then provided the assist for Wolves’ Arsenal loanee Akpom’s injury-time sealer.

Their goal, on the stroke of half-time, simply came from a hopeful long pass. Leonardo Bertone sent the loose ball clear from defence and, reading its flight and noting the run of the onrushing Jordan Pickford, Tarashaj calmly lobbed the far-from-calm England goalkeeper.

“I’m obviously delighted”, said Watmore, who has broken into the Black Cats first team this season under firstly Dick Advocaat and now Sam Allardyce after picking up a first-class honours degree in economics and business management at Newcastle University.

“When you’re on the bench, you’ve got to study the game and look what you can bring to the game if you do get a chance”, he revealed. It was one of the games when it was looking like we were struggling to break them down.

Understandably, and deservedly so, Watmore was awarded the Man of the Match award at full time.

The result leaves England top of their group ahead of the Swiss, before the nations meet again in Switzerland next March.

“To respond as he did to not starting, when it was possible that he might, as he and Chuba (Akpom) did was a great sign for us as a team”.

“We got two strikers on the field and started to pose the opposition a few different questions”.

“I like the fact that we’ve done that, that we’ve shown an edge, and it’s an important win in terms of the head-to-head (records) in the group as well”.