Denmark on the brink

Denmark are within touching distance of the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship semi-finals after they moved clear at the summit of Group B with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against England

Cruise control
Denmark, who beat Switzerland 3-0 in their opening game, looked to be cruising to maximum points after Dorte Petersen Gauhl and Johanna Rasmussen, with a stunning strike, had put them in command early in the second half. But England staged a late rally, albeit in vain, after substitute Faye Dunn reduced the arrears in the 67th minute.

Norway moved level
Norway moved level on three points with these two sides after their 2-1 defeat of Switzerland earlier in the day at the Örebäcksvallen stadium in Båstad and both Denmark and England were aware that maximum points at the same venue would go a long way towards not only securing a place in the last four but also this summer's FIFA Women's Under-19 World Cup.

Deserved goal
It was Danes who appeared the hungrier in the opening stages with captain Petersen Gauhl setting a fine example in attack. She went close on a number of occasions before Laura Basset recovered well to deny her in the 31st minute. Fortune did not seem to be favouring Petersen Gauhl but she finally found the goal her toil merited a minute later when she again breached the England defence and rolled the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Toni-Anne Wayne's net.

Fine free-kick
England had an opportunity to draw level three minutes later when Ellen Maggs won a free-kick 30 metres from goal in a similar position to where Shelly Cox, who started on the bench today, struck the second goal in the 3-1 defeat of Norway. Katy Ward had the honour this time but Susanne Graversen Boel, still limping from an earlier challenge, tipped it over brilliantly.

First to settle
The Danes were again the first team to settle after the restart and Petersen Gauhl scuffed a decent opportunity wide after good work from strike partner Marie Stentoft Herping in the 52nd minute. The second goal was not long coming, however, and it was certainly worth waiting for: left midfield player Rasmussen, the player of the match, showing tremendous technique to rifle the ball in from the edge of the area to cue the funkiest celebration of the competition so far.

Brilliant assist
Petersen Gauhl, who later said she "should have had four or five", hit a superb opportunity to make it 3-0 soon after over the bar and substitute Dunn took advantage by halving Denmark's lead with a confidently-taken goal in the 68th minute after Alex Scott found her with a slide-rule pass just inside the box. Maggs, who started that move, found herself clear seven minutes later but the chance went begging along with England's hopes of salvaging a draw.

'Unnecessarily exciting'
Denmark coach Per Rud described the end of the game as "unnecessarily exciting" as his side held on for their second successive win. "We should have closed the game before as we were 2-0 up and in charge," he said. "I had to make so many changes in defence and it is going to be very difficult with only 16 players. However, I am very satisfied with such an effort, the midfield was very strong."

England 'nervous'
Mo Marley, Rud's opposite number, felt the occasion had got to her players. "I was very pleased with the second-half performance but we are quite an inexperienced side and nerves got the better of the players," she said. "However, we know we are good enough and capable of beating any side in this competition."