Report: Netherlands 1-1 England MU21s

Dane Scarlett scored a superlative diving header as England men's under-21s drew 1-1 with the Netherlands in Almere.

Scarlett opened the scoring five minutes into the match when he acrobatically dove to meet Samuel Iling-Junior's delivery from out wide in Ben Futcher's final match in charge as interim head coach.

Substitute Thom van Bergen would level the score with less than ten minutes left on the clock with a poacher's finish.

The Young Lions enjoyed the better of proceedings early on, enjoying possession as they looked to attack from the off.

Futcher's men did not have to wait long for their first attempt at goal, with Scarlett firing away, though the Oxford United loanee saw his effort blocked amidst a sea of Oranje shirts.

Nonetheless, the forward did not have to wait long for a second chance at goal as just moments later, Scarlett would break the deadlock with a superb diving header from Samuel Iling-Junior's byline cross.

That seemed to awaken the hosts however, who began to cause England problems out wide and James Beadle was soon tested for the first time when Ezechiel Banzuzi looked to head home, but the no.1 comfortably collected the Dutchman's effort.

England were forced into evasive action again when Gjivai Zechiël found Noah Ohio but any threat posed by the forward was comfortably dealt with by Bashir Humphreys.

An unmarked Myron van Brederode would soon look to test the Young Lions rearguard, only for the left winger to slice his attempt wide after first cutting in an Humphreys would then come to England's rescue once more when he deflected Ohio's goal-bound shot into the arms of Beadle.

Up the field, Jobe Bellingham looked to combine with McAtee with a one-two, yet the hosts were able to smother the Sunderland starlet before he could fire away.

The last action of the half saw Ryan Flamingo's cheeky flick almost restore parity, yet the Oranje captain had to watch his effort sail wide to ensure Ben Futcher's charges entered the break with a slender lead.

The restart began with McAtee bursting through on goal after a marauding run, but the Manchester City midfielder was unable to convert, dragging his attempt wide.

And at the other end of the pitch, Beadle would produce a fine save to deny Banzuzi after the Dutchman cracked off a speculative long-range shot.

It would then be substitute Teden Mengi's turn to spare England's blushes, scrambling the ball away before Gjivai Zechiël could convert into the net.

But having piled the pressure for much of the second half, the Netherlands would finally break through with less than ten minutes left, with van Bergen collecting Million Manhoef's incisive pass to fire past an onrushing Beadle

Sheffield Wednesday loanee Beadle would then produce a string of late saves to deny the Dutch a winner before Jayden Philogene almost secured all three points for the Young Lions, his strike narrowly whistling wide.

England: 1 James Beadle (Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) 3 Bashir Humphreys (Burnley) 5 Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse) 6 Tyler Morton (Liverpool) 10 James McAtee (Manchester City) 14 Samuel Iling-Junior (Bologna on loan from Aston Villa) 16 Lewis Miley (Newcastle United) 17 Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) 18 Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur) 19 Dane Scarlett (Oxford United on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) 21 Tyler Dibling (Southampton)

Substitutes: 2 Teden Mengi (Luton Town) for Cresswel 56', 9 Liam Delap for Scarlett 56', 23 Jesuran Rak-Sakyi (Sheffield United on loan from Crystal Palace) for Miley 57', 11 Jaden Philogene (Aston Villa) for Dibling 57', 24 Darko Gyabi (Plymouth Argyle on loan from Leeds United) for Morton 74', 20 George Earthy (Bristol City on loan from West Ham United) for McAtee 91'

Subs not used: 13 Matthew Cox (Brentford) 12 Kellen FIsher (Norwich City) 15 Ben Chrisene (Norwich City)

Interim head coach: Ben Futcher

Goals: Scarlett 5'

Netherlands: 1 Robin Roefs 2 Tyrese Asante 3 Ryan Flamingo 4 Youri Baas 5 Bjorn Meijer 6 Ezechiel Banzuzi 7 Million Manhoef 8 Anass Salah-Eddine 9 Noah Ohio 10 Gjivai Zechiël 11 Myron van Brederode

Substitutes: 15 Neraysho Kasanwirjo for Meijer 13', 13 Max Bruns for Baas 66', 17 Sontje Hansen for van Brederode 66', 19 Thom van Bergen for Zechiël 74', 12 Denso Kasius for Kasanwirjo 80', 18 Kian Fitz-Jim for Banzuzi 80'

Subs not used: 16 Niek Schiks 23 Dani van den Heuvel 14 Maxim Dekker

Head coach: Michael Reiziger

Goals: van Bergen 82'