Parrett propels England into finals

England turned the tables on the team that had denied them in last year's UEFA European Under-19 Championship final as Dean Parrett's dramatic late strike secured first place in Group 3 and ended the holders' campaign.

The mini-tournament hosts, Ukraine knew that only a win would give them a chance of defending the title they had won on home soil last August in this year's final tournament in France, with England holding a three-point lead in the section ahead of the last day of elite-round action. Noel Blake's England side therefore sought to protect their advantage and, knowing a point would secure qualification, were content to sit back and invite pressure while looking to strike on the counterattack.

England looked to have come unstuck nine minutes from time when the deadlock was eventually broken, a left-wing cross finding its way to Ukraine substitute Igor Zubko who made no mistake from inside the penalty area. Two minutes later, however, England were back in control as Parrett – who also scored the winner against the Republic of Ireland on Matchday 1 – levelled from the edge of the penalty area, and Ukraine's fading hopes disappeared altogether when Yevgeny Zadoya collected a second yellow card in the 85th minute.