England Under-21s missed the chance to secure their place in the knockout stage of the European Championship after being held to a goalless draw by Slovenia. Lee Carsley’s side were frustrated in the first half against a Slovenia team who threatened at times, but Ethan Nwaneri and Harvey Elliott spurned golden opportunities. James Beadle, the England goalkeeper, played his part in keeping them level with decent saves to deny Svit Seslar.
England will have to wait to secure their qualification against Germany, needing a draw to be sure when they meet in Nitra on Wednesday, while Slovenia kept their slim hopes of progressing alive. Germany beat the Czech Republic 4-2 in the later game, clinching qualification with two wins from two and eliminating their opponents.
Carsley told Uefa.com: “It was a very tough game. We definitely didn’t underestimate Slovenia, who are a good, well-organised team. I definitely think we had enough chances to win, though, so the frustration is that we didn’t take those opportunities.
“I expect us to be better against Germany. I think we’ll need to freshen the team up. It’s important to take into consideration their age and the amount they’ve played, so we’ll make sure we utilise the squad.”
Slovenia started brightly and came close when Seslar’s whipped free-kick deflected inches wide of the target. Beadle was then called into action for the first time to stop Seslar’s drilled effort with his legs.
England’s first chance came in the 20th minute. James McAtee, the captain, dragged his close-range effort harmlessly wide. England should have been ahead just before the half-hour when Jonathan Rowe showed great feet to get past his marker and put the ball on a plate for Nwaneri but, with the goal at his mercy, he somehow missed an easy tap-in.
Slovenia started to threat again, with Seslar proving a menace as he let rip with a ferocious effort from outside the box which Beadle did well to tip over the crossbar. England again came close to an opener before the break, Elliot Anderson superbly picking out the run of Elliott. He lifted his effort over Martin Turk, the Slovenia goalkeeper, only to see the ball bounce off the upright and away from danger. Another glorious chance went begging when Tino Livramento hooked the ball into the six-yard area and McAtee directed a shot on goal but Turk was in the right place to save.
Slovenia almost made England pay for those missed opportunities as another chance fell to Seslar, but he saw a curling strike saved by Beadle. The England keeper said: “There are no easy games in this tournament and Slovenia have real quality. If you can’t win the game don’t lose it, and we move on. I’m satisfied with my personal performance, but obviously disappointed we didn’t win.”
Omari Hutchinson, on as a substitute, injected some pace into England’s attack and his cross found Elliott, but he could not direct his header on target.
England were denied in stoppage time as Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s pinpoint cross found Jack Hinshelwood. He directed a powerful header on target but Turk tipped the ball behind and secured an important point.
McAtee said: “I’m a bit annoyed at myself for the chances I missed, but the same goes for the rest of the lads. We’re disappointed with the result, but it’s a point and we’ve got another game coming up soon, so we’ll focus on that.
“With my first chance I thought I was offside and for the second the lads said it was a good save, but I should have finished it. There will be some fresh legs out there against Germany, so hopefully we can get the three points and top the group, because that’s our aim.”
