Djuricin penalty denies Netherlands

A late penalty from Marco Djuricin gave Austria third place in Group A and denied a ten-man Netherlands team a first UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final.

Both teams harboured realistic hopes of progressing at kick-off and both had chances, Netherlands striker Luc Castaignos twice striking the crossbar while Djuricin passed up several presentable openings at the other end. Dutch midfielder Leandro Bacuna was sent off ten minutes from time, however, and Austria finally made the breakthrough thanks to Djuricin's spot-kick that gives them third place in the section and means the Netherlands finish bottom.

With a place in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup the minimum at stake, it was perhaps no surprise that the first opportunity of note in a cautious first half did not materialise until the 20th minute, Raphael Holzhauser testing Jeroen Zoet with a curling free-kick. Zoet was to be a key figure in keeping his side on level terms just before the break, but not before Castaignos fired straight at his opposite number Philip Petermann after Steven Berghuis fashioned space with a neat turn and pass.

A three-man move involving Tobias Kainz, Andreas Weimann and Christian Klem ended with the latter steering off target under pressure eight metres out, before the best chance of the opening period for either team arrived on 42 minutes. Djuricin caught centre-back Bruno Martins Indi in possession and had only Zoet to beat, but the Oranje No1 stood firm to save with his legs twice in a matter of seconds.

Djuricin went close twice more in the early stages of the second half while only the crossbar kept Austria on terms as Castaignos' deflected shot looped over Petermann. Austria had an extra man for the last ten minutes after Bacuna tangled with Emir Dilaver and, though Castaignos hit the crossbar again and Lorenzo Ebicilio was denied by the goalkeeper, Austria made the advantage tell three minutes from time as Ricky van Rhijn felled Georg Teigl and Djuricin made no mistake from the spot.