GRAY SO RED HOT
DEMARAI GRAY showed Bournemouth fans just what they are missing.
The Leicester star was left out of England Under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd’s side for last week’s 1-1 draw with Holland after he was unsettled by a failed £30m bid from the Cherries.
But his performance last night will have had Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe cursing as he watched from the stands at the Vitality Stadium.
The winger proved his worth by smashing in a first-half goal in this Euro 2019 qualifier.
Bothroyd’s side started brightly, with Sheyi Ojo bossing the right wing as he proved too skilful for Latvia full-back Vladislavs Sorokins.
Curled
It only took England 11 minutes to create their first real chance of the game when Tammy Abraham picked out Gray on the edge of the area but the winger could only fire at Vladislavs Kurakins in the visiting goal.
But he made amends two minutes later when he curled an effort into the corner after cutting in from the left wing.
Ojo almost doubled the lead in the 20th minute but he could only watch as his shot curled wide of the post.
The Liverpool winger, on loan at Fulham, then had an injury scare after landing awkwardly on his ankle but was fit enough to carry on.
Boothroyd’s young Lions then doubled their lead through Abraham 10 minutes before half-time after Kurakins could only parry the striker’s shot into his own net when he really should have kept it out.
Latvia came close to grabbing a goal in the 52nd minute when striker Roberts Uldrikis latched on to a free-kick at the near post but his effort found the side netting.
Winger Ojo was replaced by Everton’s Ademola Lookman and he made an immediate impact.
He charged at the Latvian defence before unleashing a fierce shot from outside the area which was deflected for a corner.
Huddersfield’s Kasey Palmer added England’s third in the 70th minute to put England out of sight on a night when they did not have to get out of second gear.
Kurakins was badly at fault in goal again when he failed to hang on to Tom Davies’ dangerous cross from the right wing despite having three attempts at grasping the ball.
Palmer was in the right place to prod home into an empty net in what was his last contribution to the game as he was immediately subbed for Liverpool’s new boy Dominic Solanke. ENGLAND (4-2-3-1): Woodman; AlexanderArnold, Gomez, Tomori, Walker-Peters; Cook, Davies; Ojo (Lookman, 58), Palmer (Solanke, 70), Gray; Abraham (Calvert-Lewin, 68). Subs: Henderson, Chilwell, Maitland-Niles, Worrall.