Slick England reach last four
Monday, May 7, 2007
Article summary
England 4-2 Netherlands Victor Moses scored twice as England progress to the semi-finals as Group B winners at the expense of their opponents.
Article body
Victor Moses scored twice as England defeated the Netherlands 4-2 to progress to the semi-finals as Group B winners at the expense of opponents who could yet find consolation in the form of a FIFA U-17 World Cup berth.
Penalty miss
England put Rhys Murphy’s missed penalty behind them to take a 2-0 lead through Henri Lansbury and Moses inside 15 minutes, only for Luciano Narsingh (31) and Luis Pedro (44) to draw the Jong Oranje level before Moses (54), with the aid of a deflection, and Tristan Plummer (added time) won it for John Peacock's side. England next meet Group A runners-up France on Thursday, when the Dutch tackle Germany for a place in the Korea Republic after Belgium beat Iceland 5-1 to take second spot in the section.
Sterling comeback
Having wasted a glorious opportunity to open the scoring from the penalty spot in the eighth minute in Tubize, as Sergio Padt made a comfortable save from Murphy's spot-kick, England soon made amends as midfielder Lansbury picked up Timothy van der Meulen's clearance and brilliantly dispatched it from range.
Fine equaliser
The Netherlands were weakened by the suspension of striker Genero Zeefuik and absence through injury of Daley Blind, the two-goal hero of the defeat of Iceland, and England took advantage by doubling the lead in the 15th minute as Moses headed in Nathan Porritt's fine corner. Narsingh halved the deficit shortly after the half-hour by flicking the ball in at the near post after Bentem Anthony had outstripped Porritt down the right flank, before the Netherlands restored parity as Pedro scored with a stunning effort reminiscent of Lansbury’s opener for England.
Plum Plummer
It was England who had the better of the second-half chances, save for a couple of nervy moments from goalkeeper Jason Steele, and they deservedly wrapped up the points - and the section - as Moses's drive looped in off Van der Meulen before lively substitute Plummer headed into an empty net in added time after Padt had repelled Welbeck’s close-range header.