ENGLAND under-20s reached the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time today as they came from behind to defeat tournament debutants the Netherlands in Vannes.

Having topped their group scoring 10 goals, the Lionesses were shocked when Victoria Pelova took advantage of a weak header from Megan Finnigan to expertly side-foot the Netherlands in front from the edge of the area in the 13th minute.

It took England only seven minutes to equalise as Manchester City’s Georgia Stanway maintained her goal-a-game record in the tournament when she latched onto a through pass, turned inside Caitlin Dijkstra and side-footed the ball across Dutch keeper Lize Kop.

Three minutes later, the midfielder burst through on goal once more after Lauren Hemp held off her marker and split the Dutch defence with a straight pass.

Stanway’s first shot hit the inside of the post, her second was blocked on the line, but she stabbed home at the third attempt for her fifth goal of the tournament. 

Hemp, a constant threat with her ability to hold the ball up and bring her teammates into the game, could herself have extended the lead in the 35th minute, feeding off Alessio Russo’s flick but failing to round the Dutch keeper.

England goalkeeper Sandy Maciver came to her team’s rescue early in the second half when she rushed forward to smother the ball at the feet of Naomi Pattiwael when the Dutch winger was played through on goal inside left-back Mayumi Pacheco.

Yet that was as close as the Netherlands came to equalising. 

It was England who threatened more on the counter-attack, Stanway almost completed her hat-trick on two occasions, firstly when her left-foot shot from the edge of the area clipped the top of the Dutch crossbar, then her free-kick from the edge of the area was only narrowly wide of the Dutch goal with Kop rooted to the spot. 

With the minutes ticking away, substitute Niamh Charles raced down the right before stretching the Dutch keeper with a cross-shot.

England will remain in Vannes to play either Germany or Japan in the semi-final and such has been the impact of the Young Lionesses that many will hope to return to France next summer with Phil Neville’s senior squad.