England 0-0 Holland

U19 International Friendly
Bescot Stadium, Walsall
Tuesday 5 September 2006

England played out a hard-fought goalless draw against their Dutch counterparts with chances at a premium.

The visitors looked brighter early on and failed to make the most of a couple of half-chances.

But England grew in stature and looked the stronger team side either side of half-time before having to soak up some more Dutch pressure late on.

The game took a while to spark into life although the Dutch had an early chance when Vurnon Anita caught Fabrice Muamba in possession and exchanged passes with Jordy Brouwer before hitting a powerful shot just over the bar.

There was another opening for the visitors when Geert Arend Roorda made a powerful burst from midfield and tricked his way past centre-back Leigh Mills before beating Luke Daniels with his shot, only to see it bounce back of the inside of a post.

But England, under Head Coach Brian Eastick, reclaimed some of the initiative as the half wore on and when Mills won a loose ball 25 yards out Giles Barnes turned his marker superbly before just clearing the bar with a right-footed shot.

England were on top as half-time approached and when Adam Hammill burst down the left and crossed to the far post, Joe Garner headed across the face of goal when he might have hit the target.

Early in the second half England defender Elliott Omuzusi twice headed at goal from Hammill corners.

The first effort went well over but the second was only narrowly wide of the near post.

But the remainder of the half was scrappy and the next chance did not arrive until the 77th minute when Jordy Buiys prodded home from a close range from a right-wing free-kick, only to see his ‘goal’ ruled out by an offside flag.

The biggest cheer of the night greeted the arrival of Walsall’s Ishmel Demontagnac on his home ground with 13 minutes remaining.

But it was the visitors who went closest in the dying moments, with subsitute Melvin Zaalman sprinting into the box before firing just wide, although Lee Cattermole went close with a dipping stoppage-time volley.

England: Daniels (Gamble, 46), Omozusi, Golbourne (Bertrand, 46), Muamba, Mills (Little, 46), Mancienne, Anderson (Ephraim, 46), Cattermole, Garner (LIndfield, 69), Barnes (Jones, 77), Hammill (Demontagnac, 77).

Holland: Krul, Marcellis (Horsten, 70), van Eijden (de Jong, 61), Buiys, Supasepa, Vormer, Biseswar (Zaalman, 70), Roorda (Narsingh, 81), Brouwer (Emnes, 61), Anita, Sarpong (Goosens, 81).

Referee: J Moss.

Attendance: 8,508.