Holland 0-1 England

Under-21 International Friendly
Tuesday 14 November 2006
AZ Alkmaar FC
7.05pm kick-off, (8.05pm local time)
Live on Sky Sports

Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte scored the only goal in Alkmaar to give England a deserved 1-0 win over current European champions Holland and end the year on a high. 

Hoyte was on hand to pounce on a mistake inside the Dutch penalty area and claim his first Under-21 goal in the 12th minute. From then on, the Three Lions adapted well to keep the home side largely at bay.

Using the same formation that served them well in the European Championship qualifiers, the Three Lions thwarted their talented Dutch hosts.

With skipper Tom Huddlestone shielding a defence that included the returning Curtis Davies, England had the perfect platform to allow the pace of Young, Milner, Routledge and Walcott to break forward in support of Nugent.

With all eyes now on next summer's European Championship, to be held here in Holland, the ability to experiment and change formation will become increasingly important over the next few months. Both Sammy Lee and Peter Taylor will have been pleased with the way in which England's young guns adapted to this encounter.

As early as the eighth minute, Routledge's neat return pass freed Nugent who drive narrowly wide across the far post.

It was a sign of things to come as it was only four minutes later that England took the lead - and from the unlikeliest of sources. Justin Hoyte was doing no more than supporting David Nugent's forward burst when Boy Waterman belted the ball into him. It left the young Arsenal defender the simple task of clipping the ball home from close range.

Hoyte once scored a classic over-head kick for England's Under-19 but he was just as ecstatic with this strike.

It had been Holland who started the quicker with former Arsenal striker Owusu-Abeyie showing outstanding pace and touch down the left. His curler from the edge of the box required Carson's best Premier League form to keep it out.

But England had their own flying machine in Walcott. His pace became an even greater threat on the break in the second half, with a dribble and pass to Routledge on the hour coming close to carving open the Dutch.

Ahead of Walcott, it was the tireless running of David Nugent that in many ways underpinned England's performance. He so nearly claimed one for himself, latching onto Walcott's 72nd minute throughball lob outpace the defence only to see the defender recover at the last.

England then had another couple of opportunities through Whittingham and looked more likely to score another. The Villa man's volley looked good but just dropped wide of Waterman's goal, before he was presented with another chance at the far post but his outstretched leg couldn't connect with Young's cross.  

Nugent's replacement Cameron Jerome may even had added a second just before the end. His pace got him on to Huddlestone's ball but Waterman saved well.

England almost suffered a cruel blow in the second minute of injury time as Robbert Schilder broke into the England box for a rare sight of goal for the Dutch.

Fortunately, however, he flashed his left-foot drive wide of Carson's goal and England survived to take a well-earn win to bring a close to an unbeaten 2006.

TheFA.com Man of the Match: David Nugent (Preston North End)

England - click here for profiles
1 Scott Carson, 2 Justin Hoyte, 3 Leighton Baines (14 Liam Rosenior, 46), 4 Curtis Davies, 5 Matt Kilgallon, 6 Tom Huddlestone (c), 7 Wayne Routledge (16 John Welsh 78), 8 James Milner (15 Peter Whittingham, 65), 9 David Nugent (12 Nedum Onuoha, 85), 10 Ashley Young, 11 Theo Walcott (17 Cameron Jerome, 83).
Subs: 13 Lee Camp (Norwich City)

Goals: Justin Hoyte 12

Coach: Sammy Lee (caretaker)

Holland
1 Boy Waterman, 2 Dwight Tiendalli (c) (12 Gianni Zuiverloon, 63), 3 Ryan Donk, 4 Frank van der Struijk (14 Milano Koenders, 46), 5 Royston Drenthe (14 Marcel De Jong, 63), 6 Robbert Schilder, 7 Julian Jenner, 8 Rick Kruys (17 Kemy Agustien, 46), 9 Sherjill MacDonald (15 Wout Brama, 57), 10 Otman Bakkal (18 Eliero Elia, 57), 11 Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Subs: 13 Kenneth Vermeer

Coach: Foppe de Haan

Team Colours
Holland: Orange shirts, White shorts, Blue socks
England: White shirts, Blue shorts, White socks

Officials
Referee: Pavel Olsiak
Assistants: Marian Ruzbarsky and Mastislav Laskovsky
Fourth Official: Lubos Michel

Attendance: 15,000