ENG U21 3-0 LTU U21
Colchester
England are through to the Play-Off Round of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifiers, after their 3-0 win over Lithuania in Group 9 secured their spot as one of the 4 best 2nd-Place finishers from across the 10 groups.
In a must-win game for the home team, there was no breakthrough in the first half at the Community Stadium, with the visitors coming closest by hitting the post. In the second half though, England would rally, and goals from Danny Welbeck (62′), Marc Albrighton (79′), and another late on from man-of-the-match Welbeck (90+1′), would give them a win that would prove to be crucial in the final standings.
For the other contenders from the British Isles, Wales came desperately close to winning Group 3, despite a 1-0 defeat in Italy, and even though they had a higher goal difference than the Italians, UEFA rules dictated that they missed out on top spot based on the away goals scored in the two nation’s head-to-head fixtures. To add insult to injury, Wales would finish 6th in the ‘best runners-up’ table, missing out on that by goal difference. It was better news for Scotland, though, who claimed a late 2-1 win over Austria to book their place as a group winner.
It will now be a few day’s wait before the 14 teams find out who they face in the two-legged Play-Off Round in early October, with the draw being made in Herning (Denmark) on Friday.
The nations that have qualified for the Play-Off Round are:
Group Winners:
Romania, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia, Ukraine, Greece, Scotland
Best Runners-Up:
Spain, England, Belarus, Iceland
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