England young guns dispatch Slovakia
Kieran Richardson notched England's first
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Tuesday, 05, Jun 2007 10:39
England Under 21s recorded a thumping 5-0 win over their Slovak counterparts as they warmed up for this summer's European Championships with a friendly at Carrow Road.
Stuart Pearce's side produced a strong, cohesive performance from the first whistle and would have made an impression on the scoreline earlier but for visiting goalkeeper Lubos Kamenar.
David Nugent saw a couple of efforts blocked before Kieran Richardson planted home a 35th-minute penalty after Ashley Young had been upended by Peter Pekarik.
In-demand skipper Nigel Reo-Coker scored his first goal at under-21 level to double the lead just after the hour.
The midfielder made way for substitute Leroy Lita immediately after his strike. His successor in the captain's armband, Steven Taylor, soon added a third after latching onto Wayne Routledge's low centre.
Tottenham Hotspur's Tom Huddlestone crashed in a fourth with eight minutes left on the clock and Lita rounded off the win with a well-taken opportunity shortly after.
Prior to kick-off the two sides had agreed to some extra penalty practice by taking each other on from the spot whatever the result during normal time.
England duly boosted their confidence ahead of their trip to Holland with a 4-3 win thanks mainly to two strong saves from Joe Hart.