Hat-trick Hugo Ekicika ruined the return of Lee Carsley as the U21 England coach while France defeated his team with 10 men 5-3 in Lorient.
James Mcatee scored a quick opening, but England’s superiority was temporary, with goals from Quentin Merlin and ecitically turning things around.
Harvey Elliott flattened, but ecitic, which has 13 goals for the Bundesliga Eintracht Frankfurt club this season, took two more before Liam Delap’s head made it 4-3.
However, Rayan Cherki – who gave two assists – was put into the act himself to seal the victory, after Elliott had exploded a penalty on the grass.
A bad night for visitors was covered when Omari Hutchinson came out of the bench and was shown a right red card for a dangerous solution in Thierno Barry.
England attacked the lead after only 90 seconds of courtesy for a well -designated routine. Elliott’s corner was slammed by Delap and Mcatee not marked well positioned to hit the house from afar.
But the direction of England was short -lived, and they were caught being intercepted by the resumption as the hosts flattened in the fourth minute. Cherki pierced a precise passage for the first time on the path of growing left Merlin, who held his marker and ended up in the distant corner.
It was 2-1 for the hosts three minutes later when the Lyon Cherki continued his excellent creative appearance with a perfect inch pass over the protection, which the ecital ended over James Beadle.
Ekicika made him 3-1 in the 35th minute when he received the crucial touch after Wilson Odbert beat Rico Lewis on the outside and destroyed a ball along the box, only to pull a goal back two minutes later with a close head with a close kick following the good work by Elliot Anderson and Mcatee.
England’s shaky defense was again violated 10 minutes in the second half after Ekicika claimed his hat-trickin with another.
But Delap was led by six jars a little by the o’clock and, when Lewis was punished in the area, they had a chance to level. However, Elliott’s penalty was well over the grass.
Cherki finished the score with 14 minutes left with a hit across Beadle’s feet, before Hutchinson saw red five minutes from time.
