Netherlands U17’s place in the European Championships is under threat after a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland on Saturday evening.

  • By Michael Bell
  • Follow Michael on Twitter

or u17The young Oranje side got off to a great start on Thursday when they comfortably beat Georgia 2-0, but they will now have a last group game showdown with Belgium on Tuesday after failing to beat Northern Ireland.

Maarten Stekelenburg’s side dominated from the start with Javairo Dilrosun, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Fernandes all missing good chances before Ajax youngster Donyell Malen finally gave Netherlands the lead with a shot that squirmed past goalkeeper Shae Gordon.

After the break Netherlands continued to press, but the scoreline remained 1-0, and seven minutes before the end a cross from the right hand side was met by Shayne Lavery who made no mistake from close range to earn Northern Ireland a draw.

Netherlands now have to beat a strong Belgium side, who have won their two matches 4-0, on Tuesday to guarantee a place in the European Championships next May. A draw or a loss may see the Dutch relying on being one of the seven best runner’s up.




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