A 93rd-minute winner from Jack Stephens ensured that England Under-21s extended their unbeaten run to 15 games courtesy of a thrilling 3-2 victory over Italy at St Mary's this evening.
The hosts broke the deadlock early on before Italy fought back to lead at half time, but second-half strikes from Lewis Baker and Stephens saw Aidy Boothroyd's side come from behind to win the international friendly.
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Italy arrived in Southampton as the last team to have beaten England, doing so in the semi-finals of Euro 2015, but it was the home side who got off to a blistering start and they should have taken the lead after just four minutes when Calum Chambers glanced a header narrowly over the crossbar.
Demarai Gray in particular was causing problems for the Italians in the opening exchanges, and it was the Leicester City man who got the opening goal after just eight minutes when he stroked a loose ball home after it had rebounded into his path inside the area.
It took just six minutes for Italy to restore parity, but their equaliser came against the run of play and needed a huge stroke of luck as Andrea Conti's attempted cross struck the foot of Brendan Galloway and looped over a helpless Angus Gunn on its way into the top corner.
That goal helped the visitors to settle into the match, and they completed their turnaround before the half-hour mark when a corner was flicked on at the near post and reached Federico Di Francesco, who had the simple task of tapping home from close range.
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That was how it stayed until half time, but England almost levelled things up after the restart when Gray rattled the crossbar in search of his second of the night.
The woodwork came to the visitors' rescue once again just four minutes later, with Will Hughes the man denied on this occasion as he struck the post from inside the penalty area.
The equaliser did arrive on the hour mark, though, as Baker played a one-two with Hughes on his way inside before picking out the bottom corner with an effort from just outside the box.
England were the side pushing for a winner in the closing stages, and it finally arrived in the last seconds of stoppage time as the hosts made it 27 consecutive victories on home soil.
Fittingly the winner was built in Southampton as James Ward-Prowse delivered a corner that was nodded towards goal by academy graduate Chambers. The Italian keeper scrambled across to keep the initial effort out, but Stephens was waiting to fire the rebound into the roof of the net with the last kick of the game.
The victory is England's first over Italy since 1997, when Kieron Dyer scored the only goal of the game.
Barney Corkhill
