HARVEY ELLIOTT had his own Ollie Watkins moment as he downed the Dutch and fired England to the European Championship final.
He refused to let a wondergoal from Jude Bellingham’s best mate Noah Ohio stop him stealing the headlines to set-up a showdown against either Germany or France.
Elliott, 22, broke the deadlock in scorching temperatures at the Narodny Futbalovy Stadion in Bratislava midway through the second half.
Moments later Ohio, with his first touch, stunned the Young Lions with a brilliant first time 40-yard strike.
But Elliott, one of two survivors from the 2023 team that lifted this prize, produced his own magic moment to win it to condemn the Dutch to more semi-final heartbreak 12 months after Watkins did the same at Euro 2024.
Boss Lee Carsley made just one change to the side that sliced through the much-fancied Spain last Saturday in the last round.
Elliot Anderson came back into midfield for the suspended Tyler Morton to partner Alex Scott with James McAtee and Jay Stansfield ahead of them.
Omari Hutchinson and Liverpool playmaker Elliott were the two tasked with providing the ammunition from the flanks.
And the back four of Tino Livramento, Charlie Cresswell, Jarell Quansah and Jack Hinshelwood were the wall protecting goalie James Beadle.
Despite the scorching conditions, it was the Young Lions who pounced first and carved open the Dutch inside three minutes.
Anderson carried the ball and fed Hutchinson out left. He darted into the area and his cross found Elliott at the back post, but Robin Roefs saved with his left leg.
It looked set to be a long afternoon for Dutch full-back Neraysho Kasanwirjo as Hutchinson gave him a torrid time early doors as the England pressure continued.
Roefs saved again to push a fierce Elliott drive wide before he stood up well to deny skipper McAtee after he tried to fool him with a backheel.
Holland had failed to register a shot on target by the cooling break midway through the opening period, but it was them who benefitted most from it.
England, whose players were draped in ice-cold wet towels during the stoppage, appeared to have lost their momentum as the Dutch took control.
But despite all of their possession, they only had a half-hearted penalty appeal from Thom Van Bergen waved away to show for it.
There was a severe lack of tempo, although England did have one more opportunity right at the death, but Scott’s drive was deflected wide as it remained all-square at the break.
Poor Kasanwirjo, who spent last season on loan at Rangers from Feyenoord, made way for Wouter Goes in the only change at the half time after his struggle to contain Hutchinson.
Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen, who was on the bench in Dortmund last summer for the seniors when Watkins broke Holland hearts at Euro 2024, finally called James Beadle into action with a 25-yard fizzer that was pushed wide.
But before they could build any momentum, England countered to make the breakthrough.
The ‘Geordie Maradona’ Anderson was right at the heart of it.
He charged forward from midfield as the terrified Dutch defence retreated, allowing him to slide it out right to Elliott.
Elliott was in no mood to let anybody steal any of his limelight.
The 22-year-old took a touch and then let out all the frustration from his two first half misses and rifled Roefs from a tight angle.
Hutchinson showed nice feet before hitting the side-netting but moments later he and his team-mates were left stunned.
Cresswell fails to control down the left and the ball goes past him out towards the touchline.
Ohio, who had only been on the pitch three minutes and became pals with Bellingham while representing England U16s, pounced and hit it first time left-footed from 40 yards and caught Beadle out of position as it sailed into the near post.
But Elliott was in no mood to let anybody steal any of his limelight as his nimble-feet left Thom van Bergen for dead on the edge of the area before firing left-footed past Roefs.
Anderson almost curled in a third, but the biggest cheer of all came deep into stoppage time.
Desperate Holland won a corner, sending everybody forward including keeper Roefs.
But Beadle came through everybody to claim it and England were on their way to another date with destiny as they look to retain their crown as kings of Europe.
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