Too little, too late for Czechs

The Czech Republic salvaged some pride from their UEFA European Under-17 Championship campaign, as they beat Moldova 3-2 in Nykøbing today.

Previous defeats
Having lost their two previous Group C matches, against Spain and Yugoslavia, the Czechs bounced back with a victory in their third and final match in this year's competition.

Bright start
The Czechs, determined to finish the tournament on a positive note, started brightly and took the lead after only three minutes, when Jan Mokrejs produced a low cross to the near post and Pavel Malchárek stabbed a shot in to open the scoring.

Calincov on target
However, Moldova then took control of the midfield and deservedly equalised in the 26th minute, when Denis Calincov curled a free-kick round the Czech wall to restore parity before the break.

Czechs in charge
Roman Pucelik must have had some stern words for his players at half-time, as the Czechs came out fighting from the start of the second half and almost immediately restored their lead. Michal Papadopoulos raced clear of the Moldovan defence but lost his composure when faced by keeper Marian Berezovschi and fired wide.

Frantic finish
However, the Czechs finally got what they deserved after 50 minutes, when AC Sparta Praha's Michal Kropik scored with a free-kick after Roman Svrcek had been brought down on the edge of the area. Pucelik's side then added another when Papadopoulos atoned for his earlier miss, as he shook off two defenders and launched a stinging drive past Berezovschi in the final minute of the match.

Late consolation
There was still time for Moldova to grab a consolation goal, Calincov broke into the Czech box and rounded keeper Tomas Bursa to reduce the deficit shortly before the final whistle.

'Tactics and technique'
Pucelik was in reflective mood after the match, having seen his side blow their chances of qualification in their opening two fixtures. "We made individual mistakes today and we need to learn more about tactics and technique," he said. "Against Spain we were good in the second half, and against Yugoslavia we were too stressed. I am glad that there will only be eight teams in next year's compeition rather than 16."

'Great experience'
Moldovan coach Petru Efros was disappointed to have lost the match but is taking many positives away from the tournament. "This has been a great experience for my squad," he said. "We have shown that we can score goals against the other teams in our group and I think we have one of the best offensive lines in the competition. Our goal was to finish third in the group and I am dissapointed, especially with our defence."