Spain defeat England to reach the Women's U17 Euro final

Spain overcame England at Burton Albion to make it through to the final of the UEFA Women’s U17 Championship.

Andrea Sanchez notched a brace either side of Pilar Garrote’s strike to hand Jorge Vilda’s side victory and they will now take on Germany in Sunday’s showpiece at Chesterfield.

Defeat may have ended England’s European dream but a win over Italy in the third/fourth-place play-off, also on Sunday, will secure a spot at next year’s FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup in Costa Rica – the main objective at the start of the tournament.

The hosts survived an early scare as the Spaniards poured forward and Aitana Bonmati smashed an effort against the crossbar from the edge of the box.

However, the woodwork couldn’t come to England’s rescue just after the quarter-hour mark as Mireya Garcia Boa sent in a deep cross from the right which Sanchez headed home at the far post.

The lead might have been doubled just four minutes later only for Nahikari Garcia’s header to come back off Kirstie Levell’s right-hand upright.

Fidler’s charges weathered this early bout of pressure and eventually grew into the game, patiently building from the back. Atlanta Primus stung Elena De Toro’s fingertips with a low, 20-yard effort as England put Spain on the back foot for a sustained period.

They were unable to find an equaliser before the half-time whistle sounded but came inches away from levelling soon after the restart as Primus dragged an angled shot just wide of the near post.

Spain raced down the other end and once again rattled the frame of the goal, through the goalscorer Sanchez. And it wasn’t long before the visitors doubled their advantage, although there was a good deal of fortune about the goal.

Leah Williamson headed away a Spain free-kick from the right, but Garrote fired the loose ball through a ruck of players from range and it took a wicked deflection to deceive Levell and hit the back of the net.

Levell was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the second half and she did well to deny Garcia and then Sanchez to keep alive England’s hopes of getting back into the contest.

But the comeback never materialised and Sanchez scored direct from a corner in the 79th minute to complete the scoring.

Now England’s attention will shift to Sunday’s play-off against Italy – and a place at the World Cup.

England
1 Kirstie Levell, 2 Alice Hassall, 3 Jemma Purfield, 4 Mollie Rouse, 5 Leah Williamson (C), 6 Gabrielle George, 7 Evie Clarke (18 Ellie Wilkinson, 58), 8 Sophie Stamp (16 Rebecca Lloyd, 65), 9 Chloe Kelly, 14 Lucy Porter (19 Brogan McHugh, 77), 17 Atlanta Primus
Substitutes not used 12 Phillippa Cowley, 13 Sian Rogers, 15 Ella Williams.

Head Coach Lois Fidler

Spain
1 Elena De Toro, 2 Nuria Garrote (15 Cinita Montagut, 80+1), 3 Beatriz Beltran, 5 Rocio Galvez (C), 6 Pilar Garrote, 7 Nahikari Garcia (11 Carmen Menayo, 79), 8 Mireya Garcia Boa, 9 Particia Guijarro, 10 Andrea Sanchez, 14 Aitana Bonmati, 16 Queralt Gomez.

Attendance 887