England Under-21s interim coach Ben Futcher hailed a “ruthless” second half showing as the Young Lions swept aside an Austrian side 4-1 including two goals from Aston Villa ace Morgan Rogers in a friendly at Kenilworth Road.
It was the first time Luton Town’s stadium had hosted an international in 31 years and was not without its controversy as Hatters fans raged at the covering up of their famous ‘Betrayed by the FA’ flag.
The huge banner has hung in the Main Stand since the never matched 30-point penalty meted out by the Football Association and the Football League before the 2008/09 season.
Town have since become the only side to have ever to have risen from the non-league to the Premier League, a feat they achieved in ten years, and after hosting top-flight football last term, this was a chance to see the country’s next big things.
And the Young Lions put on quite a show, with James McAtee and Morgan the stand-out starlets of a first half that bafflingly only ended 1-0 after the Manchester City man was tripped and the Villan dispatched from the spot.
And, had it not been for a string of fine saves all game from Austrian stopper Nikolas Polster, England could have racked up double figures, with Ipswich’s Liam Delap the most profligate.
But the opening period somehow ended all square when an Alex Scott mistake allowed Theirno Ballo to blast in from 20 yards.
But after half time McAtee got the goal his masterful performance deserved, while West Bromwich forward Tom Fellows notched and Morgan bagged his brace.
Coach Futcher, the son of 1970s Luton Town legend Paul Futcher, said: “There’s some top talent in there and Morg is one of them. It was great to see him on the scoresheet. He was excellent tonight, but other players were as well. They created a number of other chances.
“It was a really positive night, some really good performances, a good team performance, so we can go away tonight really happy.”
The Young Lions had suffered a disappointing stalemate in their European Under-21 Championship qualifier with Northern Ireland on Friday, but they more than made up for it at Kenilworth Road.
“They deserved to be winning and they weren’t,” Futcher said of England’s first half, adding: “We didn’t want to feel the same after this game as we did the other night. So I think you’ve seen in the second half, they stepped on the gas, were a bit more ruthless and we got a deserved four goals.”
Futcher added: “In the second half we were ruthless.
“It probably could’ve been more, the lads were excellent, a really good performance and there are some smiling faces in there (dressing room), which is good.”
Even so, had Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens’ finishing matched his lightning and direct approach play, the Young Lions would’ve made the scoreline even more comprehensive to match other promising performances came from Newcastle left back Lewis Hall and Liverpool centre half Jarell Quansah.
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