Burns brace blasts England

Cork C of I starlet Nick Burns ensured Ireland U16 will head into their European campaign with confidence, after he blasted a double to ensure a 2-1 win over England. The hosts deservedly took the lead when Tom Samuel nicked the ball and played through for Burns to out-strip the defence and roll in a reverse at the near post. Burns subsequently had an acrobatic deflection chalked off as Josh Moffett’s cross was deemed dangerous, but he converted Ireland’s only corner, won by the trickery of Bandon’s Darren Sweetnam, with a drag-flick, before England hit a late consolation. England still edged the three-game series 2-1, thanks to a 3-1 win on Friday night and a nervier 2-1 victory on Saturday. Ross Canning and Owen Magee – younger brother of full international Eugene – found the net for Paul Cooke’s side on those occasions. The Irish U18 boys side also had a victory to savour as they capped their weekend with a 4-3 win over Scotland in Edinburgh, with Shane O’Donoghue’s last-minute corner strike proving the winner. They had drawn their first game with the Scots 2-2.