Denmark 0-1 England

International U21 Friendly
SAS Arena, Herning
16 August 2005

A last-minute Darren Ambrose goal gave England’s Under-21s a confidence boosting victory in Denmark.

England dominated for much of the game, but it looked destined to finish goalless until Ambrose latched onto Carlton Cole's flick-on to fire home against the ten-man Danes.

The win, and the performance overall, gets the season off to a great start for Peter Taylor’s side with two vital European qualifiers next month.

England played some attractive football and worked the ball around well during a first half in which they did everything but score.

On the counter-attack they swept forward with vigour, twice coming close through James Milner and Carlton Cole.

In fact Milner’s effort, a 5th minute header, did cross the line despite the desperate clutch on the line by Denmark’s former Manchester City ‘keeper Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard.

It was created by Cole’s powerful run teeing up a shot for Nigel Reo-Coker which was parried on to the bar before Milner nodded in, but the linesman’s flag signalled offside.

Cole then had a great chance on 24 minutes almost rounding of a fine move. It was he who burst out of the England area to feed Milner out wide on the right after a Denmark attack faded.

Milner carried forward into space and rolled across to Kieran Richardson twenty yards out. The Manchester United midfielder added a simply touch to help into the path of Cole but the Chelsea man’s left-foot shot trickled just wide. 

At the back Scott Carson was rarely troubled, but the defence weren’t having it all their own way, enduring a physical duel with front pairing Jakob Sørensen and Morten Rasmussen.

In the 26th minute Rasmussen almost scored against the run of play. Jonas Kamper did well on the right to get beyond Liam Ridgewell and cross for Rasmussen who headed just over.

Taylor made his six changes at the break as promised and England continued to put Denmark on the back foot. It wasn’t until the home side were reduced to ten-men that they began to trouble their opponents.

Having already received a yellow card in the first half, Rasmussen’s late lunge on substitute Jon Stead meant an early bath for the Dane, but seemed to spur his team on.

A snap-shot from Mikkel Thygesen turning twenty-yards out forced Lee Camp into a smart save low to his left. Then Davenport was called upon to make a last-gasp challenge toeing away from the path of Leon Andreassen as he shaped to shoot.

Cole came very close for a second time with ten minutes left. With the ball at his feet, the 21-year-old worked an opening a drilled his shot just past the post.

His flick over the head of Ambrose’s marker was spot on though, giving the Charlton forward enough space to beat Ellegaard’s dive and win the game for England.

England: Scott Carson (Lee Camp, 46), Nicky Hunt, Liam Ridgewell (Peter Whittingham, 46), Michael Dawson (Anton Ferdinand, 46), Calum Davenport, Nigel Reo-Coker (c) (Darren Ambrose, 46), James Milner, Kieran Richardson, Carlton Cole, Dean Ashton (John Stead, 46), Stewart Downing (Tom Soares, 46)
Subs not used: Luke Steele, Andrew Taylor

Goals: Ambrose 90

Denmark: Kevin Stuhr Ellegaard, Jonas Troest, Leon Andreassen, Martin E. Jensen, Nicolaj Høgh (Dennis Cagara, 46), Jacob Poulsen, Jonas Kamper, Mikkel Thygesen, Jakob Sørensen (Simon Busk Poulsen, 72), Kasper Lorentzen (Simon Bræmer, 72), Morten Rasmussen.
Subs not used: Steffen Kielstrup, William Kvist Jørgensen, Theis Rasmussen.