Report: England WU23s 1-1 Netherlands

England women’s under-23s suffered injury-time heartbreak in their European league match with the Netherlands as the game finished 1-1.

A dominant England took the lead through Hannah Silcock in the first half and looked set to bounce back to winning ways following Thursday’s 3-1 loss to Spain – their first defeat in more than a year.

But the Netherlands equalised in the second minute of injury-time through Fenna Kalma to mean the sides had to settle for a point apiece at Banus Football Center in Spain.

England had the first chance of the game, as Jessica Naz’s dangerous ball from the left just evaded Katie Robinson, and they would have scored even earlier had it not been for Netherlands goalkeeper Danielle de Jong making a superb trio of saves in quick succession.

After Gwyneth Hendriks had almost put the ball into her own net, Aggie Beever-Jones directed the resulting corner to Kiera Skeels who forced de Jong into an incredible save.

Missy Bo Kearns’ corner was then headed goalwards by Silcock but de Jong produced a world-class save to deny the defender before the Netherlands goalkeeper saved Ruby Mace’s powerful rebound.

Three minutes later and De Jong was saving again, this time it was Beever-Jones’ effort after Katie Robinson had laid off Poppy Pattinson’s cross.

The Chelsea forward was then denied a minute later following more good play from Pattinson and Naz on the left.

England had to wait until the 37th minute to finally break the deadlock and it came when Robinson did well on the right flank and delivered a cross which was turned into the bottom right-hand corner by Silcock.

Kalma fired over soon after and the Netherlands had a couple of dangerous moments in the first half but England were good value for their lead at the break.

Both teams could have scored in the opening quarter of an hour in the second half had it not been for great last-ditch blocks from Ella Morris and the Netherlands defender.

Beever-Jones almost added a second goal with 19 minutes remaining when she headed Pattinson’s delivery against the crossbar.

England continued to carry the greater threat into the final ten minutes, as Skeels forced the Netherlands into another save and substitute Ruby Grant sent a shot over the bar.

But in the second minute of injury-time, the Netherlands equalised through Kalma.

England: 1 Lucy Thomas (Birmingham City), 2 Ella Morris (Southampton), 3 Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 4 Ruby Mace (Manchester City), 5 Hannah Silcock (Blackburn, on loan from Liverpool), 6 Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic), 7 Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), 8 Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool) (c), 9 Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), 10 Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City), 11 Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur)

Substitutes: 19 Shannon O’Brien (Leicester City) for Naz 64, 16 Ruby Grant (BK Hacken) for O’Brien 81

Substitutes not used: 13 Fran Stenson (Sheffield United), 14 Ebony Salmon (Aston Villa), 15 Freya Gregory (Aston Villa), 17 Lucia Kendall (Southampton), 18 Tara Bourne (Sheffield United), 21 Molly Pike (Southampton), 23 Anouk Denton (West Ham), 24 Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic)

Head coach: Emma Coates

Goals: Hannah Silcock 37