International round-up: Wigan Athletic duo taste success with England

Wigan Athletic starlets Joe Gelhardt and Jensen Weir both shone as England Under-18s enjoyed a convincing 2-0 victory against Korea Republic on Tuesday night to complete a successful week's work.
Joe Gelhardt celebrates with his England team-mates (Pic: The FA)Joe Gelhardt celebrates with his England team-mates (Pic: The FA)
Joe Gelhardt celebrates with his England team-mates (Pic: The FA)

The victory means the Young Lions topped their four-team mini-tournament, having beaten Australia 3-2 last Friday and drawn 1-1 with Brazil last Sunday.

First-half goals from Manchester City’s Cole Palmer and PSV Eindhoven’s Nonso Madueke gave Ian Foster’s side a deserved win in their final game.

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Gelhardt, named in the starting XI, curled an effort just over in the first half.

And Weir, who came off the bench for the second half, fired narrowly over in the closing stages.

Weir had started the opening game against Australia, with Gelhardt coming off the bench, before the roles were reversed for the final two outings.

Elsewhere, it was a somewhat mixed international programme for the other six Latics representatives.

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Kieffer Moore made his debut for Wales on Monday night, playing for 75 minutes in the 1-0 victory against Belarus.

But it was a less enjoyable evening for David Marshall and Charlie Mulgrew, whose Scotland side were beaten 4-0 at home by Roberto Martinez’s Belgium.

That followed a 2-1 home defeat to Russia last Friday, although Marshall was singled out by skipper Andy Robertson as the Scots’ stand-out performer.

At junior level, Kyle Joseph – who turned 18 on Tuesday - scored his first goal for Scotland Under-19s in the 1-1 draw against Japan in Spain.

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That cameo off the bench saw him start the return fixture, alongside club-mate Luke Robinson, which ended in a 3-2 defeat.

Goalkeeper Bobby Jones was also away with the Ireland Under-18s squad on a training camp.