Lithuania U21 0-0 England U21: England's Youngsters Held In Vilnius

Under-21's unable to convert chances.

Nov 17, 2009 2:16:20 PM

England: Stuart Pearce Manchester City (AFP)
Lithuania U21 0-0 England U21

England’s Under-21 side failed to build on the victory against Portugal at the weekend by only managing a 0-0 draw with Lithuania in Vilnius on Tuesday.

Those players hoping to give Fabio Capello something to ponder will rue this missed opportunity after being unable to convert numerous chances
to secure victory.

Stuart Pearce opted for a change in attacking personnel, drafting in Daniel Sturridge to partner Andy Carroll. Ryan Bertrand made way for the Chelsea man, with Pearce preferring to start Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs at left-back.

The England youngsters started brightly enough and almost took the lead inside 11 minutes, but Carroll could only put a trademark header wide. Carroll again threatened 10 minutes later, this time hitting the post with a 20-yard effort.

The Newcastle man spurned a hat-trick of first half chances volleying an aerial ball from Daniel Rose across goal.


The second period followed a similar pattern to the first. Fabrice Muamba starting proceedings with an effort that passed agonizingly wide of the Lithuanian net. England came closer still moments later - Andy Carroll again denied by the frame of the goal after a jinking run by Tom Cleverley.     

England desperately searched for the winner, but the introduction of Henri Lansbury and Zavon Hines was in vain as the Lithuanians held out for a point.

Despite remaining unbeaten in European Championship qualification Group 9, the England U-21's lie in second position, two points behind leaders Greece whom they face at Wembley in March.  

Line-ups

Lithuania U21: Cerniauskas, Fridrikas, Klimavicius, Krasnovskis, Urbaitis, Vaitkunas, Novikovas, Zagurskas, Eliosius, Papsys, Matulevicius.

Subs: Valincius, Rackus, Kochanauskas, Chvedukas, Macezinskas, Janusauskas, Stiklakis.

England U21: Loach, Gibbs, Mancienne, Richards, Smalling, Cleverley, Delph, Muamba, Rose, Carroll, Sturridge.

Subs: Fielding, Bertrand, Naughton, Cork, Gosling, Lansbury, Hines.

Adrian Fisk, Goal.com

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