England U21 hosted Finland at Stadium: MK on Thursday night looking to continue their unbeaten start to Euro 2015 qualifiers.
The Young Lions could take firm control of Group 1 with a win, with the two sides forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Tampere a few months back.
However, England cruised to a comfortable victory to move three points clear at the head of the table.
Read how it all unfolded in our live commentary.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of the England U21s where they host Finland at stadium:mk in the qualifiers for Euro 2015.
So far so good for Gareth Southgate and his Young Lions. They are well on course to earn a place at Euro 2015 in the Czech Republic, as they sit top of Group 1 after four games. They are level on points with Wales, but have played two matches less than their rivals and are yet to taste defeat in the campaign.
Wales are the only nation that England have yet to come up against, and have already met tonight's opponents in the group. Finland are the only side to have avoided defeat against the Young Lions, following a 1-1 draw back in September. Saido Berahino got the equaliser in Finland that night, after Moshtagh Yaghoubi had given the hosts the lead.
That point came after England had edged past Moldova 1-0 on home soil, with Berahino again scoring in that game. However, Southgate's side go into tonight's game off the back of two thrashing. They smashed San Marino 4-0 in a match that saw the currently-injured Harry Kane bag a hattrick, before thumping Lithuania 5-0 last month in Ipswich.
It's an important week for England, which could see them all but guarantee their place in the Czech Republic.
Right, let's bring you some team news, starting with the hosts.
ENGLAND XI: Butland, Jenkinson, Stones, Keane, Shaw, Zaha, Ward-Prowse, Chalobah, Morrison, Sterling, Berahino
So Gareth Southgate has made three changes to the team that battered Lithuania a month ago.
Jack Robinson, Thomas Ince and Tom Carroll all miss out, with the former two forced to settle for a place on the bench.
That means that Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson, Southampton left-back Luke Shaw and Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling all find themselves in the starting lineup.
It will be an interesting night for Jenkinson in particular, who could be playing against England tonight having turned out for the Finland U21s in the past due to his Finnish mother. However, having turned out for the Three Lions earlier this year, Jenkinson now finds himself pulling on the white of England.
Right, let's take a look at the England bench.
ENGLAND BENCH: Long, Robinson, Dier, Hughes, Lingard, Ince, Ings
So that's the England set-up, let's see what they will come up against this evening.
FINLAND XI: Joronen, Aspegren, Hatakka, Lod, Yaghoubi, Kauppi, Vayrynen, Paananen, D. O'Shaughnessy, P. O'Shaughnessy, Alho
Finland boss Mika Laurikainen has also made three changes to his side since their last outing, where they lost at Moldova.
Thomas Lam, Juho Lehtonen and Antto Hilska all drop out of the starting XI, with Hoshtagh Yaghoubi, Daniel O'Shaughnessy and Nikolas Alho all come in.
And here is the bench.
FINLAND BENCH: Viitala, Hoivala, Hamalainen, Hertsi, Lehtonen, Brechtel, Heimonen
Let's bring you some more on the opposition, and Finland will be desperate for a response after losing in their last game to Moldova.
Prior to that defeat and their draw with England, Finland were held 2-2 in their opener against Lithuania, before battering Wales 5-1 in Bangor. They continued their unbeaten run in their third game with a 1-0 win in their return match against Lithuania. Finland are currently third in Group 1 with eight points from five matches.
England will be hoping that they can replicate their win over Lithuania, but not in its entirety. Ravel Morrison and Wilfried Zaha were involved in a punch-up during the game in a squabble over who took a penalty decision. Morrison, who had already notched a brace in the game, wanted to complete his hattrick, while Zaha was the usual penalty taker. It was the Manchester United man who ended up converting the spot kick.
However, manager Southgate has since insisted that there are no problems between the two players heading into the game.
The teams are out at Stadium: MK, and we're just minutes away from kick off in Group 1.
KICK OFF! We're underway at Stadium: MK.
England, playing from right to left, are wearing their home kit of white shirts, navy shorts and white socks.
Meanwhile Finland, attacking the right, are wearing their away strip of blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks.
Nice trickery from Zaha down the right to create some room on the edge of the box, but his cutback is blocked by Yaghoubi.
Yaghoubi has a free kick on the left from a tight angle, he goes for goal and it takes a touch off Sterling before heading out for a corner.
The corner comes to nothing, and England can clear.
More pressure from Finland as Yaghoubi wins another corner, but again, England can deal with the danger.
Zaha dribbles his way into the box and goes down under a challenge and asks for a penalty. The referee correctly rejects the claim, and awards a corner.
England have dominated the early possession count, but Finland have probably had more of the ball on the attack. Zaha is certainly doing his best to wow the home crowd with his skill and trickery.
Wonderful run from Sterling who demonstrates his pace against his marker down the left and leaves him for dead. He goes down under a challenge but picks himself and puts a cross in, but it was a poor delivery.
Finland have looked very organised so far and have done very well to contain England. Quite even at the moment, still no real chances.
England need to up the tempo. They have a lot of quick attacking players but they are at walking pace at the moment.
Good chance for England, as Ward-Prowse prepares to take a free kick to the left of the box.
GOAL! England 1-0 Finland (Michael Keane)
England lead through Keane, but it's a world-class delivery from Southampton's James Ward-Prowse. He curls it right onto the edge of the six-yard box where Keane heads the ball in, having pretty much carried his marker on his back in getting to the ball.
Southampton's England internationals have got off to a flyer, is that a sign of things to come?
England have continued to dictate the play since that opener, and are starting to hit their stride now.
CLOSE! Nearly a similar second goal for England, as Ward-Prowse curls in a free kick from the right to the far post, but Stones' header is deflected out for a corner.
Still all England. Finland have struggled to mount any kind of attacking possession since falling behind, although England haven't really created another clear chance from open play yet.
Finland do seem very defensive. They currently have everyone in their own half when England are in possession, they don't seem quick enough to play on the counter, so I'm not quite sure what their tactics are here.
Brilliant run from Berahino down the left before pulling the ball back to Sterling, whose powerful shot is mishit into the path of Zaha. He then holds the ball up and wins a free kick.
GOAL! England 2-0 Finland (Saido Berahino)
It's a gift for Berahino, and England lead 2-0. Shaw darts down the left and swings in a cross which forces a save from Joronen, but he palms it into the path of Berahino who taps it in.
YELLOW CARD Berahino is cautioned for taking his shirt off and showing a message on his t-shirt during the celebration.
Apologies, Berahino didn't even take his shirt off when he was celebrating his goal, but that doesn't matter according to the rules. He will now miss England's next game because of it.
YELLOW CARD Patrick O'Shaughnessy, who has been haunted by Berahino throughout the match so far, fouls the England man from behind and gets a yellow.
We will have one extra minute.
HALF TIME: England 2-0 Finland
Comfortable for England at the break then, and Gareth Southgate will be largely pleased with what he has seen so far.
Michael Keane headed the Young Lions in front from a brilliant James Ward-Browse free kick, before Saido Berahino tapped in his fourth goal for England after Luke Shaw's teasing cross was palmed into the striker's path by Joronen.
The teams are on their way back out.
KICK OFF! Finland, playing from right to left, get the match back underway.
No changes from either side at the break, as England continue to control possession.
SAVE! Joronen is forced into making another stop from Shaw. The Saints full-back brings the ball fantastically under control before thumping a cross into the box which Joronen takes no chances with.
Zaha and Sterling, the two wingers, seem to be slowing the game down and taking too long in possession whenever they get the ball, which is strange for two quicks forwards. They need start playing it earlier.
Not a lot to report on in the last few minutes, neither side have managed many chances and are just exchanging possession in the centre.
Finland have a corner from the right which is whipped in, but Butland comes and comfortably makes an imposing catch.
SAVE! England nearly lose the chance as Morrison tries a bit too much skill and it falls loose on the edge of the box to Ward-Prowse. He slams a low effort towards the bottom corner, but it's pushed behind by Joronen.
England seem like they're not far away from a goal, they're camped on the edge of the FInland penalty area at the moment.
It seems as if both teams are about to make substitutions.
FINLAND CHANGE Kauppi is off, with Jesper Brechtel coming on.
ENGLAND CHANGE Chalobah and Sterling both make way for Will Hughes and Thomas Ince.
England have absolutely dominated possession in this match. With 25 minutes to play, they have had 70%.
SAVE! Zaha makes his way down the left side of the box with some stepovers. He's up against three players before getting his shot away, but Joronen can save.
CHANCE! What an opportunity for England to kill the game off. Berahino twists his way on the left before pulling a shot back which deflects into the path of Ince, who has an open goal, but his first touch was unexpected and Finland can clear.
RED CARD! Patrick O'Shaughnessy is shown a red for picking up a second yellow card following a late challenge in the centre of the field. It would take a miracle for Finland to get something from this game now.
YELLOW CARD Yaghoubi goes into the book for a late challenge on Zaha.
Zaha is really taking a kicking in this second half. England win another free kick on the left as the winger is chopped down. They play it short.
I'm not sure if Jack Butland is even still on the field. It's been that long since he has had something to do. Of note, I think he has only had one catch to make and that's it in this half.
OFF THE BAR! England, again, come close to a third. The ball is worked into the box to Zaha, who touches to ball onto his right foot before unleashing a curling effort towards the top corner, but it comes crashing back off the bar.
ENGLAND CHANGE Ravel Morrison is the man to make way, with Jesse Lingard coming onto the pitch.
SAVE! Butland is forced into action as Alho bangs an effort from 30 yards out which is heading to the top corner, but Butland flings himself to his right and palms the ball over.
GOAL! England 3-0 Finland (Saido Berahino)
Game, set and match England. Berahino gets his second of the game after finishing a nice pass from Ince.
FULL TIME: England 3-0 Finland
It was never in doubt really from the moment that Berahino scored his first of the match and England's second. The Young Lions cruise to an easy 3-0 win thanks to Michael Keane's opener and a Berahino brace to move England three points clear at the head of Group 1.
Next up for Gareth Southgate's side is a clash with San Marino on Tuesday, where they can all but guarantee their place in Czech Republic for Euro 2015.
Well that's it from me tonight, I hope you enjoyed the game. Until the next time, it's goodnight.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
Spain U21s
