Gritty York-born defender Chris Kamara hailed his England baptism as the greatest night of his tender teenage years.

Chris Kamara

The 15-year-old son of former York City full-back Alan Kamara was a late call-up to the England Under-15s squad, which got their adidas Victory Shield campaign off to a winning start at City's Bootham Crescent home.

England won 2-1 after going behind in the first minute.

For Kamara it was a teen dream come true.

Starring at right-back for his country, the defender enthused: "It was just fantastic. There's been nothing bigger than this in my life."

The Millthorpe School pupil, who is currently on two-year schoolboy forms with Nationwide League First Division side Nottingham Forest, admitted he expected his Forest stable-mate and Canon Lee School's Andrew Haskins to get the international call.

But while Haskins did not make the eventual 16 Kamara did, pulling on the number two shirt at his home-city ground.

"It's always been an ambition of mine to wear that England shirt. Now that I've done it hopefully I can keep working hard and progressing and do it at senior level.

"It was a bit of a blow going down a goal so early in the match, but we stuck at it to the end and kept our spirit to win."

England Under-15s manager Dick Bate echoed how he too had been impressed by the youngsters' composure, particularly as this was their first outing together as a team.

"They could have become a little fragile after that first-minute goal, but they played with courage and had a go at it. I don't think the final scoreline was an accurate reflection of the amount of possession we had and the chances we created," he ventured.

Bate was also full of praise for the Bootham Crescent pitch.

"It was terrific. The groundsman here must be worth his weight in gold. It was a great surface on which to pass the ball. That gave us a great chance."

England's teenage talent shines bright

Sizeable Bootham Crescent crowd see classy England in cruise control

by Tony Kelly, Chief Sports Writer

ENGLAND took a comfortable and considerable step towards the adidas Victory Shield at York City's Bootham Crescent ground last night.

The margin of the eventual 2-1 victory over Northern Ireland might have been narrow, but there was no mistaking the chasm in class between the two sides, a gulf appreciated by the majority of the healthy 2,000-plus crowd.

More incisive finishing and England would have repeated their last meeting against Northern Ireland at the Crescent some three years before when they won 4-0 with a coltish Michael Owen amassing all four goals.

No such lone star form this time around, but as a team unit England were mightily-white impressive especially after getting off to the worst possible start.

Not a single white-shirted player had touched the ball before Northern Ireland midfielder Sammy Clingan curled in a speculative high above stranded Lenny Pidgeley after just 20 seconds.

But England swiftly recovered their poise.

After skipper John Welsh's point-blank header was parried well by Irish 'keeper William Coyles, he was beaten in a melee, the Irish-sounding Ciaran Donnelley, on Blackburn Rovers' books, poking home from close-range.

The Irish were particularly vulnerable in the air, especially at corners, where Coyles, of Leeds United, often opted to stay rooted to his line.

Even in the context of teenage football at times it was men against boys, the Irish having little response to their hosts' organisation and slick passing other than sheer endeavour.

They were frequently sliced open by the neat inter-passing of the England ranks with the key figure being David Bentley.

Tidy in possession and keen to exploit space intelligently the schemer, who is with Arsenal, dominated in his position just behind the front line.

Repeatedly he had the opposition perplexed as to who should shadow him.

Meanwhile the central defensive duo of skipper Welsh and West Ham's Glen Johnson were too strong to bypass, while York-born Chris Kamara enjoyed a solid international bow at right-back, where his tackling was firm and his anticipation keen.

He even had his own fan club evidenced by loud cries of 'come on Kammy'.

It was from deep in defence that England launched a swift counter five minutes into the second-half to deservedly go ahead.

Midfielder Donnelley's howitzer was tipped over athletically by Coyles.

But from Bentley's corner the ball sailed to the far post, where substitute Michael Gordon was unchallenged to slide home.

Ireland then staged their own rally, forcing several corners at which England uncharacteristically flapped.

But it was only brief pressure and England were soon back in the ascendancy.

Twice substitute Gordon drew applause from the sizeable crowd.

First, he fired just wide after blistering pace took him past Irish skipper Andrew Patterson.

And then when a step-over bamboozled another defender his left-foot shot was just two feet over the crossbar.

England will want crisper finishing though from their next two matches against Wales and Scotland if they are to collect that Victory Shield.

England Match Facts

England U15 2, Northern Ireland U15 1

ENGLAND: Pidgeley (Chelsea), Kamara (Nottingham Forest), Shippen (Sunderland), Schumacher (Everton), Johnson (West Ham), Welsh (Liverpool), Westcarr (Nottingham Forest) (Gordon 41min, Arsenal), Donnelley (Blackburn Rovers), Samba (Millwall) (Bent 78, Ipswich Town), Bentley (Arsenal) (Moogan 67, Everton), Harding (Wimbledon) (Sweeney 63, Millwall). Subs (not used): Parry (Barnsley).

Goals: Donnelley 8min, Gordon 50.

NORTHERN IRELAND: Coyles, Flanagan, Patterson, Grimes, McCrystal, Ward (Donnelly 63), Clingan, A Hamilton, Davey, Taggart (McNulty 52), Duffy (M Hamilton 60).

Subs (not used): Nelson, McComb.

Goals: Clingan 1min.

Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay)

Attendance: 2,071

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.