Luton defender Mengi wins second England U21s cap during Netherlands draw
Town centre half comes on in the second half
Luton defender Teden Mengi won his second England U21s cap during a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands U21s in Almere on Monday evening.
Having been on the bench for the 0-0 draw with Spain U21s last week, Mengi was named among the substitutes once more for the clash held at the Yanmar Stadion. The Young Lions got off to the perfect start in Ben Futcher’s final match in charge, when Tottenham Hotspur striker Dane Scarlett, currently on loan with Championship outfit Oxford United, scored a superb diving header from Samuel Iling-Junior's left wing cross with just five minutes gone.
That seemed to awaken the hosts however, who began to cause problems out wide as keeper James Beadle collected Ezechiel Banzuzi’s header, as the unmarked Myron van Brederode sliced wide, while Noah Ohio's effort also deflecting into the arms of Beadle. In the final stages of the first half, Ryan Flamingo's flick sailed narrowly wide, as England went into the break with a slender advantage.
After the interval, James McAtee dragged an attempt wide of the target, before Beadle produced a terrific save to deny Banzuzi from distance, as Mengi was introduced for Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswel just before the hour mark. The Hatters substitute immediately made an important intervention, scrambling the ball away before Gjivai Zechiël could pounce.
An equaliser did arrive with eight minutes to go though, Thom van Bergen collecting Million Manhoef's pass to fire past an onrushing Beadle. The Brighton stopper, currently on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, would go on to make a string of late saves to deny the Dutch a winner, although Aston Villa’s Jayden Philogene almost secured all three points for the Young Lions, with his strike whistling narrowly wide.
England U21s: James Beadle, Bashir Humphreys, Charlie Cresswell (Teden Mengi 56), Tyler Morton (Darko Gyabi 74), James McAtee (George Earthy 91), Samuel Iling-Junior, Lewis Miley (Jesuran Rak-Sakyi 57) Jobe Bellingham, Archie Gray, Dane Scarlett (Liam Delap 56), Tyler Dibling (Jaden Philogene 57). Subs not used: Matthew Cox, Kellen Fisher, Ben Chrisene.