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Southgate content as England U21 complete Euros tune-up with narrow win

England U21 boss Gareth Southgate was satisfied with his team following their 1-0 win over Belarus on Thursday.


Ben Gibson scored an 83rd-minute winner as the Young Lions edged their rivals who had been reduced to ten men moments earlier at Barnsley's Oakwell.

The win was England's 15th in their past 17 matches and according to Southgate, was a solid tune-up for their opening 2015 European U21 Championship fixture with Portugal on June 18.

"We stuck exactly to our plan apart from kicking off half an hour late," said Southgate. "We planned to make the substitutions at the times that we did and whatever the scoreline would have been we felt it right to keep to that.

"With the training we had we knew the load we wanted to give people. "I was also pleased with the attitude and approach of all of the players that came on because, whether it 10 minutes or half an hour, those contributions in the Czech Republic are going to be crucial. There is a job to be done for every player."

England have been drawn in Group B with Portugal, Italy and Sweden in the tournament which is held in Czech Republic from June 17 to 30.

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