England U21 success doubles Lansbury's joy

A goalless draw in Botosani was enough to give Stuart Pearce's England a UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off success against Romania, and while they were made to work hard, Henri Lansbury – a 62nd-minute replacement for Chelsea FC's Daniel Sturridge – ended up with an unforgettable memory of the day he turned 20.

"I think that was one of my better birthdays," the Arsenal FC midfielder said after England had secured a 2-1 aggregate triumph and a ticket to next summer's finals in Denmark. "The lads have done well in the last couple of games and came here and we showed we can grind out a result. We have a great bunch of players here and, as we showed on the pitch, we do everything together. We're really happy to go through."

With their hosts needing just a 1-0 win to progress, England were under the cosh for much of the game, and Lansbury was grateful to goalkeeper Frank Fielding for keeping Romania at bay. "Frankie kept us in the game a few times and the defenders defended really well, but it was hard when the crowd got on their side," he said. "It was a hard game to come into, it was hot, but in the end we got what we needed and we're through."

Lansbury's joy meant bitterness for Romania coach Emil Săndoi. "I can only say four words – it is a pity," he reflected. "Why? Because my players proved during the whole campaign, including this play-off, that they are as good as anyone. England have plenty of top-rated players who are worth millions and play for big clubs – even playing for the senior national team. We lost our place in the finals because we were without all of the forwards who scored in the group phase."

Pearce could only sympathise with the 45-year-old former Romania defender, admitting that his side had been second best in the return fixture, though he could not fault their defensive rigour. For Săndoi, meanwhile, the only lasting memory from this day will be a sad one. "I will never forget the players' tears after the match," he added.