Ukraine 1-1 England

UEFA Under-19 European Championship
Second Qualifying Round
02 May 2004
Športni Park, Celje

With Ukraine only needing a point to finish top and progress, they played deep, with only one man upfront from the first whistle.

The Ukrainians' tactics were clear and it was up to England to break them down.

The well-organised Ukraine side stated the better of the two sides and they took the lead from a contentious free-kick from the edge of our box.

Having fallen behind in such a disappointing manner, Dick Bate's team battled hard, and Sunderland centre-back Pat Collins was pushed upfront to add a bit of height to the Three Lions' attack.

With eight minutes to go, it was Collins who rose highest to power home a header to bring England back on level terms.

Try as they might, England just couldn't break down Ukraine for a second time and so it is Ukraine who take their place in the finals in Switzerland in July.

Missing out on playing in finals tournaments at this age is a great shame as tournament-experience provides an excellent stepping-stone to future international success.

Goals: Collins