Gordon, Kane score again to get England off the mark
Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane both hit the back of the net for the second game running, this time helping England to a 2-0 win over 10-man Czechia in the Nations League.
England was aided by Pavel Sulc's first-half red card, and this time, when Gordon and Kane gave it the lead, it held onto it for its first victory in Group A3.
Czechia gave England an early scare after Elliot Anderson failed to intercept a long pass down the left wing and Sulc raced onto it, but James Trafford rushed out to smother the shot while one-on-one.
Lukas Cerv then volleyed wide of the target before England got its first clear opening when Morgan Rogers turned in the box and bent an effort onto the far post, with Anderson's follow-up blocked by Robin Hranac.
The momentum changed in the 25th minute; Sulc caught Anderson above the ankle with his studs, and his yellow card was upgraded to a red following a VAR review.
Gordon saw a tight-angled shot parried just after the half-hour mark, while Kane forced Matej Kovar into a fine stop on the stroke of half-time.
But it took England just 67 seconds after the restart to break the deadlock, with Trent Alexander-Arnold whipping in a stunning cross, which Gordon nodded past the goalkeeper.
Lewis Hall sent the ball trickling narrowly wide as England upped the pressure, which told in the 68th minute as Kane latched onto the loose ball after Rogers tripped and swept a low finish into the bottom-right corner.
Czechia was not out of the game, though, with Adam Hlozek forcing Trafford into a fine stop nine minutes later from the edge of the box after a quick counter-attack.
Eberechi Eze and Jude Bellingham tested Kovar late on, but the Czechia goalkeeper kept the score down; though with a numerical disadvantage, they could not take advantage of that.
