Football: Watkins' great England hero – propelling country to European Championship final in dying minutes

It was an eventful start to the European Commission semi-final between the Netherlands and England.

Already in the seventh minute, the Oranges were 1-0 up. That's when Xavi Simons drove the ball in the middle outside the penalty area and found his way behind Jordan Pickford in the England goal.

With this goal, 21-year-old Simons became the youngest player ever to score in a European Championship play-off match for the Netherlands.

Ten minutes later, the ball found Harry Kane in the Dutch penalty area. He met it immediately and had a shot that went wide.

Clinical ken

But Dutchman Denzel Dumfries pushed the England striker's foot just in time for the final whistle and the VAR room caught the referee's attention. After checking the TV screen, Felix Zwayer chose to point to the spot.

From there, Kane was decisive, scoring the equaliser to make it 1-1. A score that held until the end of the first half.

Watkins the alternate hero

England had the first real chance of the second half when Bukayo Saka fired into the roof of the net from close range but the goal was ruled out for offside.

In the second half, the game clock rose to 90, and substitute Ollie Watkins received the ball in the penalty area.

He turned around his defender and fired the ball into the far corner to make it 2-1 to England.

Watch the player's decisive goal above.

“We talked about everyone having to be ready. We have a big squad but whether you start or play five minutes or one minute, you always have to be ready and you can always be the one to come and decide for us,” captain Harry Kane said of Watkins coming on after the victory.

“We’ve reached the final and there’s one game left to make history. We’ll be there and we’re really looking forward to it,” Kane continues.

The final match between Spain and England is scheduled to take place at 21:00 on Sunday.

European Championship

Holland.

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England