England 1 Czech Republic 2: England heading home as Czech Republic snatch late Euro goals

Stuart Pearce’s side looked set to rescue their stuttering Group B campaign and qualify for the semi-finals when Danny Welbeck scored 14 minutes from time.

But substitutes Jan Chramosta and Tomas Pekhart struck in the final minute and in stoppage-time to condemn England to an extraordinary defeat.

Pearce dropped captain Michael Mancienne, Jack Rodwell and Danny Rose. Phil Jones replaced Mancienne as captain and Fabrice Muamba, Tom Cleverley and Scott Sinclair were all drafted into the starting XI.

The Czechs also made three changes, bringing in Libor Kozak, Jan Kovarik and Lukas Marecek.

England needed a dramatic improvement on their opening two draws against Spain and Ukraine and there was certainly more of an attacking shape about Pearce’s line-up, with Daniel Sturridge and Cleverley taking up advanced positions.

A lovely interchange of passes was finished by Sturridge in the eighth minute but the flag was already up.

Sturridge released Welbeck three minutes later but the striker’s fizzing drive was too close to Tomas Vaclik.

England needed a brilliant save from Frankie Fielding to avoid falling behind in the 17th minute, the goalkeeper tipping over Marecek’s dipping half-volley from Kozak’s knockdown.

England enjoyed another let-off when Jan Lecjaks’s inviting cross was missed by everyone.

The Czechs enjoyed a brief spell of possession but when England got the ball back, they put together their best move of the tournament, Cleverley volleying Ryan Bertrand’s cross into the sidenetting.

In the 41st minute Sinclair cut inside from the left and unleashed a blistering drive which was tipped over by Vaclik.

The Czechs seemed content to let England have the ball after the restart and hit them on the break.

It was a dangerous game but one that was paying off, although former Sheffield United defender Kyle Walker’s fizzing cross did cause some consternation and Cleverley fired over from distance.

Jones eventually took charge himself from the back, carrying the ball right to the byline and drawing a foul.

With just over a quarter of the game remaining, Pearce had seen enough, replacing the anonymous Jordan Henderson with Henri Lansbury.

The Czechs soon followed suit, withdrawing Kovarik for Milan Cerny, who immediately got Walker booked for a blatant hold.

England badly needed some inspiration and Chelsea striker Sturridge tried to provide it when he chipped a 40-yard free-kick just over the bar.

That was just a taster as the breakthrough finally arrived 14 minutes from time.

A decent spell of possession culminated in a brilliant inswinging cross from the right from Sturridge, with Manchester United striker Welbeck bulleting a header past the flailing Vaclik.

Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton replaced Cleverley and Lansbury almost settled the contest when he drilled a free-kick narrowly wide.

Marek Suchy was booked for a blatant body check on Welbeck, who could have had a second after a goalmouth scramble.

With their own semi-final dream on the line, the Czechs made a desperate double substitution and one of the newcomers, Chramosta, nodded wide.

England, who threw on Rose for Sinclair late on, looked like holding out but disaster struck in the 90th minute.

Marcel Gecov was allowed to carry the ball into the box and his cross took a wicked deflection off Welbeck, allowing Chramosta to lift the ball over Fielding.

England might have had a stoppage-time penalty when Sturridge was brought down but the flag was already up for offside.

And their misery was complete with the final kick of the game when another substitute, Pekhart, converted Chramosta’s cross.

England Under-21 coach Pearce bemoaned a momentary lapse of concentration.

“Once we got our noses in front, we knew it was going to be difficult,” Pearce said.

“We are disappointed as a group as we felt after taking the lead we should have held on to it.

“They didn’t really cause us a problem all evening defensively but we switched off for a minute, it falls to their player, and it’s 1-1.

“The second goal was neither here nor there.”

Pearce felt England at least bowed out on the back of an improved display in what has been a disappointing tournament.

He added: “It was probably the best performance of the tournament. But perhaps us going home now was symptomatic of us not passing the ball well enough in the first two games.”