Ella Toone’s 91st minute winner saw England fight back to beat Netherlands 3-2 to keep their Olympics and UEFA Women’s Nations League dreams alive.
Lineth Beerensteyn’s first-half brace had the Dutch on course to top the group with a game to spare until quick-fire goals from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp pulled England level.
Toone eventually sealed England’s dramatic comeback victory with a close-range strike from Lauren James’ cross in the first minute of injury time.
England now sit second behind the Dutch on goal difference and must win their final group match, whilst hoping that Netherlands don’t beat Belgium in order to advance to the UEFA Women’s Nations League semi-finals and keep their Olympics qualification dreams alive.
Speaking post-match to ITV, England manager, Sarina Wiegman had mixed emotions as she explained: “I feel a little bit strange. I am really happy with the win but in the end you hope you win by two goals so you’re in a better position.
“But, coming back from 2-0 down and how we showed up in the second half was so well done. It was a good performance. Overall it was a really good game.”
Knowing that only a win would keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals and quest for Olympics 2024 qualification, England enjoyed a positive start as Hemp sprinted forward in the second minute but Lauren James nodded her cross wide.
James was again involved in England’s next chance four minutes later as she teed up her Chelsea teammate, Niamh Charles whose cross from the left flank was nodded wide by Chloe Kelly as the Lionesses struggled to find a clinical edge despite their early dominance.
Further frustration came in the 11th minute after Hemp pounced up James’ forward pass and curled towards the far-right corner, yet Daphne van Domselaar made a crucial fingertip block and referee – Tess Olofsson bizarrely awarded a goal kick rather than corner.
Netherlands consquently took full advantage of Olofsson’s blunder as a quick attacking move up the right saw Pelova play a direct pass which Beerensteyn latched onto, and calmly waited as Lucy Bronze and Jess Carter tangled before she rolled in under Carter’s legs to put the Dutch ahead.
Danielle van de Donk and Pelova saw further shots put wide as the Netherlands set about extending their lead, whilst James fired over the bar in the 24th minute as England desperately tried to force an equaliser.
The hosts’ frustrations on the attack soon proved costly again as a scrappy 35th minute clearance evaded Carter’s legs, which allowed Beerensteyn to pounce and double the Dutch’s lead with a shot into the near-bottom left corner via a touch of Mary Earps’ outstretched arms.
Kelly put a 37th minute shot wide of the bottom left corner as England fought to reduce their deficit before half-time, whilst James saw a 40th minute curled shot saved by van Domselaar as Netherlands protected their two-goal lead into the break.
After half-time, Wiegman decided to bench Kelly and introduced Mead for her first England appearance since their 4-0 friendly win over Japan in November 2022.
Wiegaman’s tactical gamble allowed England to reimpose themselves upon the Dutch like in the opening minutes of the match, despite James seeing one shot saved and another put wide as she continued to struggle to beat Van Domselaar’s clutches.
England’s improved attacking effort eventually paid dividends as James cut in from the left and whipped in a cross, which found Stanway unmarked to nod into the left corner to half the hosts’ deficit.
That moment soon proved a momentum swinger as the Dutch struggled with an immediate attack barely a minute later, with a well-worked series of passes into the box which found Mead who flicked across for Hemp to smash into the bottom-left corner to restore parity.
Netherlands remained shaken by England’s quick-fire fightback and almost conceded a third goal in the 72nd minute, if not for Van Domselaar’s save of Keira Walsh’s shot.
Mead then headed wide from Hemp’s 80th minute cross whilst Alessia Russo fired wide from James’ pass six minutes later, as England pushed for a late winner to keep their chances of topping the group alive.
Lieke Martens almost won Netherlands the match in the 89th minute as she broke forward and unleashed a powerful shot, yet Earps was alert to punch the shot away.
That wasted chance proved costly as England charged up the other end via the left-flank, with James’ cross smashed in at the far right post by Toone to complete a shock comeback to put the Lionesses second in the group on goal difference.
England could of further extended their win to a two-goal margin to put their fate in their own hands on the final day with a 93rd minute goal, but Russo sliced her shot wide on the volley but the Lionesses clung on for the victory.
What’s Next?
Netherlands will host Belgium in Tilburg at 8:45pm CET (7:45pm UK Time) on Tuesday 5 December in a pivotal final group game, where the Dutch must win to advance regardless of what England do, whilst Belgium must win and hope that England lose in order to top the group.
England visit relegated Scotland at Hampden Park, Glasgow, at 7:45pm GMT, live on BBC One in the UK that same evening, knowing that they must win and hope that Netherlands fail to beat Belgium in order to advance to the semi-finals.
Teams
England: Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter (Morgn 63′), Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles (Daly 86′), Fran Kirby (Russo 68′), Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway (Toone 68′), Chloe Kelly (Mead 45′), Lauren Hemp, Lauren James
Substitutes: Esme Morgan, Hannah Hampton, Ella Toone, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Katie Zelem, Beth Mead, Grace Clinton, Rachel Daly, Maya Le Tissier, Khiara Keating, Millie Turner, Alessia Russo
Netherlands: Daphne van Domselaar, Victoria Pelova (Jansen 64′), Caitlin Djikstra, Dominique Janssen (Casparij 63′), Esmee Brugts, Jackie Groenen (Egurrola 45′), Sherida Spitse (van Dongen 70′), Danielle van de Donk (van de Sanden 85′), Jill Roord, Lineth Beerensteyn, Lieke Martens
Substitutes: Lynn Wilms, Romee Leuchter, Merel van Dongen, Vivianne Miedema, Shanice van de Sanden, Renate Jansen, Katja Snoeijs, Jacintha Weimar, Kerstin Casparij, Wieke Kaptein, Damaris Egurrola, Barbara Lorsheyd
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)
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