England U17s into Euro quarter finals after win over Denmark

England Under-17s will meet Spain in the European Championships quarter finals after a dominant 3-1 victory against Denmark on Thursday evening. 

The Young Lions produced a number of chances over the 80 minutes, but goals from Reiss Nelson, Mason Mount and George Hirst were enough to seal a comfortable win at the Olympic Stadium in Baku. 

Steve Cooper's team started the game well, enjoying much of the ball in the early spells with some great combination play. 

Nelson was a constant menace down Denmark’s left side and it was the Arsenal forward who was getting in a number of times down the right hand side, seeing an angled shot deflected into the side netting. 

From the resulting corner, Dennis Adeniran nodded a header just over the bar, but Denmark were also posing a threat themselves, and minutes later Luke Racic blasted over from close range when through one on one. 

But England were beginning to put their stamp on the game and they nearly took the lead in the 16th minute with their best chance of the half as Dujon Sterling got to the by-line for Ben Morris to steer his close range shot wide of the post. 

Then on the 30th minute, England took the lead, as Sterling once again drove down the right hand side, beating two men and pulling the ball back for Nelson who smashed it home. 

Minutes later, England thought they had a second when Mason Mount slotted in Ryan Sessegnon down the left hand side, who coolly placed it past Snorre Olsen in the Denmark goal. However the fourth official correctly ruled it to be offside. 

England started the second period on the front foot once again and after a brilliant team move, were inches away from adding to their lead. Andre Dozzell’s through ball landed at the feet of Mount and as the Chelsea man was about to tap in, he was denied by a brilliant blocked save from Olsen. 

But minutes later, after a concentrated period of possession, it was Mount who doubled England’s lead with a superb strike. After another swift team move saw Nelson turn provider and lay it off to Mount on the edge of the box who drilled the ball past the despairing keeper. 

The second goal saw England settle into their stride, enjoying much of the ball in Denmark’s final third with Dozzell, Marcus McGuane and Adeniran doing well to control the ball and break up any Sweden attacks. They did go close on 57 minutes when an angled Jens Odgaard’s 20 yard shot went narrowly over the bar. 

Denmark were struggling to get through England’s stubborn defence though and the Young Lions were looking continuingly dangerous on the break. They nearly added a third when a ball over the top saw Mount one-on-one with the keeper, but his left foot shot was kept out by the impressive Danish keeper. 

But as the game entered the final ten minutes, England were cruising on their way in to the quarter finals, and substitute George Hirst sealed their impressive win as he ran beyond the Danish defence and placed the ball home underneath the keeper. 

Though the Danes pulled one back late on, it didn’t stop England taking a resounding victory in to the quarters, where Cooper’s men will face the Spanish at the 8km Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

England (4-2-3-1): 1 Jared Thompson (GK) (Chelsea); 2 Dujon Sterling (Chelsea), 5 Trevor Chalobah (c) (Chelsea), 18 Morgan Feeney (Everton), 15 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham); 4 Marcus McGuane (Arsenal), 6 Dennis Adeniran (Fulham); 8 Andre Dozzell (Ipswich Town) 10 Mason Mount (Chelsea), 11 Reiss Nelson (Arsenal); 7 Ben Morris (Ipswich Town). 

Substitutes: 3 Jaden Brown (Tottenham Hotspur) for Sterling 67, 9 George Hirst (Sheffield Wednesday) for Nelson 72, 12 Edward Francis (Man City) for McGuane 75. 

Subs not used: 14 Tolaji Bola (Arsenal), 16 Samuel Shashoua (Tottenham Hotspur), 17 Joshua Bohui (Brentford), 21 Nicholas Hayes (Ipswich Town). 

Goals: Nelson (30), Mount (51), Hirst (78).

Head coach: Steve Cooper