Andorra U21s 3-3 England Under 21s: Aidy Boothroyd’s side stunned against minnows
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England Under 21s lost their perfect qualifying record after suffering a scare on a plastic pitch in Andorra.
Aidy Boothroyd’s side appeared to have just struggled beyond dogged opposition but conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a six-goal thriller.
It had appeared that substitute Eddie Nketiah had inched England over the line by pouncing to net his 13th goal at this level to equal Alan Shearer’s record – but they could not hold on.
Andorra Under 21s sprung a huge surprise by earning a last-gasp 3-3 draw against England
Christian Garcia netted an injury-time equaliser for the hosts as they stunned England
The England squad walk off in dejection after being embarrassed by Andorra on Wednesday
This was a difficult afternoon, England sluggish for spells on the 3G surface, while Boothroyd kept the majority of his bigger names – including Nketiah and Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham – on the bench with a view to next week’s home tie against Turkey.
Andorra took a shock lead just before the half-hour, with Ricard Fernandez – a striker who has played at senior level – pouncing on indecision within the England back four. Fernandez moved beyond Jonathan Panzo and lashed his effort high into Aaron Ramsdale’s top left-hand corner.
There was patience to the Young Lions, however, and Sam Surridge went close with a header from Eberechi Eze’s clipped cross. An equaliser was coming and arrived when Tom Davies met Josh Dasilva’s cut-back, expertly bending an effort into the far corner from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time.
Eddie Nketiah thought he won the game for England late on with a strike in the 83rd minute
It was an afternoon to forget for Aidy Boothroyd as his side lost their perfect qualifying record
They began exerting more control thereafter. Eze, a bright spark all afternoon, might have scored his first Under-21 goal following good work by the recalled Dwight McNeil. Surridge was thwarted by Andorra’s goalkeeper, Iker Alvarez, at the back post. Alvarez gathered when Curtis Jones let fly from distance on debut.
Andorra had been willing to counter at pace, although reverted to sitting in, hoping to secure only a fifth point from seven in this group. England’s task became more about shuffling the stubborn home midfield from their positions, with Max Aarons beginning to enjoy greater influence.
The second goal came from that side, England working a way to the byline and, after Andorra failed to clear, Dasilva – whose stature continues to grow at Brentford – mopped up at the back post to squeeze in a Jones cross with 21 minutes remaining.
Ricard Fernandez celebrates scoring the second of his goals for Andorra to make 2-2
Fernandez pictured slotting home Andorra’s first goal of the qualifier in the 28th minute
England made three changes but Andorra were not finished and equalised after 77 minutes. Alex Martinez roamed forward to head a cross on to Ramsdale’s bar before Fernandez was more alert than those around him to stab his second past the England goalkeeper.
England had made three changes prior to that, one of whom being Nketiah, and he rescued them in the 83rd minute. The strike owed much to Eze’s industry, gliding through tackles, before slipping the Arsenal man through to dink over Alvarez.
Andorra again fought back and again there was defensive indecision by the visitors, Christian Garcia somehow allowed to bundle beyond Ramsdale. England will be at next year’s European Championship but must hope this sort of performance does not repeat itself.
Tom Davies equalised on the stroke of half-time for England after going behind in 28th minute
Relive all the action below with Sportsmail’s Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero
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