England Beat Japan 2-1 in 2017 Toulon Tournament, Advance to Next Round

Japan pushed England all the way during their final group-stage match of the 2017 Toulon Tournament, but the Three Lions came out on top 2-1 to complete a clean sweep of Group A.

George Hirst gave the Three Lions the lead from the penalty spot, but Japan battled back and deservedly tied things up through Mizuki Ando.

Japan dominated after the equaliser, but Martell Taylor-Crossdale converted another penalty to preserve England's perfect record in the tournament.

Japan started the match on the front foot against the favoured Three Lions, and Takeaki Harigaya fired the first chance wide of the mark. Takumi Sasaki also tried his luck, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe.

The first half quickly turned feisty, with neither team pulling back in the duels. That led to plenty of fouls and free-kicks, and after 25 minutes, Kosuke Tanaka took it a step too far, pulling down Daniel Kemp inside the penalty box.

The in-form Hirst duly converted the spot-kick, giving his side the lead. Doyen Global wasn't surprised the Sheffield Wednesday man found the net:

"

Who else but @9Hirsty ⚽️ #JPNENG https://t.co/kesQd75NZ0

— Doyen Global (@DoyenGlobal) June 4, 2017"

Tariq Uwakwe went close to doubling the lead shortly after, narrowly missing the mark. Sasaki and Tanaka also missed with half chances, and Ren Komatsu headed the team's best chance of the half wide.

Komatsu again tried his luck with a header at the start of the second half, as the Japanese dominance continued. It had to lead to a goal at some point, and Ando finally unlocked the English defence after an hour of play, slotting home an expert finish.

The tournament's official Twitter account credited Hiroki Abe's work in the buildup to the goal:

And Japan's dominance didn't stop there. Abe and Ito had minor chances immediately after the equaliser, as the Three Lions were on the ropes. 

But a second mindless challenge inside the box gave life back to England, as Yugo Tatsuta brought down Demetri Mitchell. This time, Taylor-Crossdale took care of business, restoring the lead.

With just minutes remaining, England burned some clock with two substitutions, while Japan threw all of their men forward. Daiki Kaneko missed with a wild blast, Japan's final chance at a draw.