Young Lions slip up in Belgium
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England blew a golden chance to put one foot in the European Under-21 Championship play-offs as Belgium scored a last-minute winner to record a 2-1 victory and send qualifying Group Eight back into the balance.
Martin Kelly's early goal looked set to maintain the Young Lions' 100% 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 dying seconds after Jordan Henderson missed a glorious chance for the visitors.
The result lifted Belgium up to second in the table, four points behind England ahead of February's return meeting between the sides.
They were hot favourites against a Belgium side who had won just one of their four qualifiers and knew defeat would all but end their own play-off hopes. And it was looking that way when Kelly powered England in front after just 14 minutes with his second goal in as many games.
Stuart 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 the post.
Belgium responded and the woodwork came to England's rescue 10 minutes later when home captain Nill de Pauw's shot on the turn scraped the upright.
England talisman Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was unlucky not to double his side's lead when Gregory Mertens blocked his close-range effort. The Arsenal winger also sent a spectacular volley over the crossbar after the dangerous Thomas Meunier was inches wide with an equally-stunning strike at the other end.
In between those chances, Belgium threw on Naessens and El Kaddouri on the hour mark, and it proved England's undoing. The pair combined to level the match 12 minutes later, El Kaddouri squeezing in a low cross from the right as Naessens darted towards the near post and slid in the perfect finish across Jack Butland.
Yet, England should have retaken the lead with seven minutes remaining when captain 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.
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Ziguy Badibanga burst clear from the halfway line and beat Kelly to fire in a left-foot shot that cannoned back off the post, with El Kaddouri quickest to react to the rebound, slamming home from 15 yards.