England Under-21s are beaten by Belgium after assuming command

England blew a golden chance to put one foot in the European Under-21 Championship play-offs last night as Belgium scored a last-minute winner to tip qualifying Group Eight back into the balance.

Martin Kelly’s early goal looked set to maintain the Young Lions’ 100 per cent record in the group but a double substitution by the home side proved a masterstroke as Jens Naessens equalised 18 minutes from time and Omar El Kaddouri pounced in the final seconds after Jordan Henderson missed a glorious chance for the visitors.

The 2-1 triumph lifted Belgium up to second in the table, four points behind England ahead of February’s return meeting between the sides.

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The manner of England’s defeat was eerily similar to this summer’s loss to Czech Republic, which saw them crash out of the finals in Denmark, and head coach Stuart Pearce will be hoping a similar fate does not befall his latest crop of youngsters in their last three group games.

They travelled to Mons knowing victory would leave them needing just two points to reach the play-offs after they stormed to the top of the group, scoring 16 goals and conceding just one.

They were hot favourites against a Belgium side who had won just one of their four qualifiers – against rock-bottom Azerbaijan – and Kelly powered England in front after just 14 minutes with his second goal in as many games.

Pearce’s side have been deadly from set-pieces this season and they took full advantage of a free-kick when Kelly got on the end of Liverpool team-mate Henderson’s delivery to head home via a post.

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Belgium responded and the woodwork came to England’s rescue when home captain Nill de Pauw’s shot on the turn scraped the upright.

Belgium threw on Naessens and El Kaddouri on the hour mark, and it proved England’s undoing.

The pair combined to level 12 minutes later, El Kaddouri squeezing in a low cross from the right and Naessens darted towards the near post and slid in the perfect finish across Jack Butland.

Henderson volleyed Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross straight at Koen Casteels from just six yards, a miss that was to prove costly in the final minute.