Sonny Perkins in action for West Ham United U23s

Sonny Perkins scores as England U18s secure Denmark draw

Sonny Perkins played a starring role for England U18s as the youth international team fought back from three goals down against Denmark to secure a 3-3 draw. 

The West Ham forward was included in the starting XI for Monday's friendly against Denmark as head coach Ryan Garry made 11 changes to the starting XI which defeated Sweden 3-2 on Friday. Fellow Hammers forward Divin Mubama took his place on the bench after scoring in Friday's fixture.

It was the Hammers striker who enjoyed the first opportunity of the match, firing just over the bar from the edge of the box in the early exchanges of Monday's match.

England enjoyed good possession of the ball but Denmark made Perkins and his teammates pay for their early missed chances by taking the lead just after 30 minutes when an effort from distance took a huge deflection off Everton's Elijah Campbell.

Sonny Perkins in action for West Ham United U23s

 

Moments later, Filip Kristensen's effort was not held by goalkeeper Max Thompson shortly before the interval, giving Denmark a two-goal lead at half-time, while Gustav Christensen's lobbed effort made it 3-0 just a few minutes into the second half. 

Conceding a third seemed to spark the young England side into life and it was Perkins who fired in the national team's first on 55 minutes, just shortly after seeing a header go agonisingly wide. 

Left back Zak Sturge surged forward on the wing and played  cut-back into the box, which was excellently swept in by Perkins.

Manchester United's Dan Gore followed up with a low effort from distance to make the score 3-2 with 15 minutes still to play, before a bizarre own-goal from Denmark saw England draw level. 

Netting in Monday's game means Perkins has scored three goals in seven matches for the England U18s.

Elsewhere, West Ham United U18s captain Michael Forbes scored the winner for Northern Ireland U18s in a 1-0 win over Czech Republic U18s on Monday - also while wearing the armband for his country.

The match was part of a four-team friendly tournament, the Football Federations Cup, which took place at L'Alfas del Pi in Spain over the course of the international break, in preparation for the U19s' European Championship qualifiers later this year.

The deadlock was broken in the 72nd minute against the Czechs when Forbes rifled home an impressive finish from Matty Carson's cross, with the centre-back also playing his part in a diligent defensive performance at the other end.

The win helped the Boys in Green finish second in the tournament, following a 2-1 win over Norway - in which Forbes started and even had a headed effort cleared off the line - and a 2-0 defeat to eventual winners Belgium, in which the West Ham man was an unused substitute.

 

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