England crASH out

After Mario Balotelli’s talk of Peter Pan, the semi-finals of a major tournament are becoming the equivalent of Never Never Land for the Three Lions.

Six times now they have lost in such fashion, the last four at this stage of the competition.

Tonight it was the turn of Ashley Young and Ashley Cole to join the unhappy list of those whose nerve failed them when it mattered.

Both men needed consoling as Italy began their celebrations as, outplayed for long periods of an absorbing game, all England’s defensive effort proved in vain.

It means Italy march onto Thursday’s semi-final with Germany in Warsaw and leaves Roy Hodgson to pick the bones from an otherwise impressive tournament in time for next autumn’s World Cup qualifiers.

Before the drama, all those pre-match predictions of a tight, cagey affair had been blown to bits inside the opening five minutes.

Claudio Marchisio picked out Daniele de Rossi with a peach of a cut-back.

From 25 yards, De Rossi let fly with a spectacular firsttime volley, which curved away from Joe Hart’s despairing dive, only to crash back off the post.

Starved of possession in those early stages, England eventually countered through Glen Johnson.

The Liverpool defender continued his run after laying a pass off to Ashley Young and was picked out inside the box by James Milner.

Had the chance fallen to a striker, England surely would have scored.

As it was, Johnson took vital seconds manoeuvring the ball into a position from which he could shoot, and when he did, Gianluigi Buffon stood firm to make an excellent one-handed save.

They were the most notable efforts of a surprisingly open start, during which Wayne Rooney sent a diving header over and Andrea Pirlo released Mario Balotelli, only for John Terry to rescue the situation with a vital tackle.

No-one could help when Riccardo Montolivo’s disguised pass looped over the England defence and dropped invitingly for Balotelli, whose volley went straight to Hart.

At the other end, Danny Welbeck’s precise effort sailed over after he had run onto Rooney’s return pass.

It was spellbinding stuff, with Italy having the edge in craft and guile, whilst also looking vulnerable when England attacked at pace.

Balotelli’s notoriously fragile temperament resulted in him lashing out at a post after spurning another opportunity, which Pirlo and Antonio Cassano combined to provide.

He ended the half driving over from long-range, extending a contribution substantially more effective than Rooney, whose failure to pick out a team-mate with a cross under no pressure was symptomatic of a player struggling to find his form.

England were caught cold straight after the interval when Marchisio found De Rossi in the box, only for the midfielder to mis-kick a volley wide from barely four yards when he had the time to do much better.

It was the start of an onslaught that had England teetering on the brink as Pirlo took command in imperious fashion.

At 33, the midfielder now assumes the Paul Scholes-role for his country, dropping deep and dictating the tempo, and for a while, England were powerless to stop him.

Terry denied Balotelli at the far-post with a thunderous clearing header, then Hart repelled De Rossi’s long-range effort and also Balotelli’s follow- up.

Montolivo got to the loose ball first but his shot sailed over.

Hodgson had seen enough and after Balotelli’s overhead kick had gone over, Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott were introduced.

With Italy making changes as well, the game lost its shape, so, as had been imagined, extra-time was required.

After their defiant rearguard action, it would have been galling in the extreme for England’s defences to be breached by a fluke.

Fortunately, what was intended as a cross by former West Ham man Alessandro Diamanti clipped the far post after Hart reacted too late to the danger it was posing.

Antonio Nocerino thought he had won it six minutes from the end but his header was correctly ruled out for offside.

It merely delayed the inevitable.

That England led after the first two rounds of penalties to give hope, only made defeat all the more crushing as Diamanti delivered the final blow.

KEY MOMENTS

3 minutes: Daniele de Rossi’s swerving attempt from outside the England box beat Joe Hart but strikes a post.

5: Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon makes a one handed save to his left to deny Glen Johnson from close range.

14: Wayne Rooney threatens for the first time but heads over from a Johnson centre.

25: Former England skipper John Terry makes a crucial tackle to block Mario Balotelli’s shot.

32: Danny Welbeck exchanges passes with Rooney but shoots wide when well placed inside the Italian area.

35: Hart is the busier of the keepers and pushes aside Antonio Cassano’s fierce rising shot.

41: Joleon Lescott gets a vital touch on Balotelli’s close range shot to turn it wide.The Italian striker kicks the post in frustration.

45: Italy have 12 shots on goal in the opening 45 minutes compared to England’s four.

48: De Rossi squanders a golden opportunity when he drags his shot wide from inside the six-yard box.

52: Hart makes a double save to deny Cassano and Balotelli before Montolivo fires over.

60: Hodgson opts for a double substitution with Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott replacing Welbeck and James Milner respectively.

65: Ashley Young’s shot is deflected wide after Carroll and Walcott quickly get involved in the action.

80: Hart goes down to his left to save Italian substitute Alessandro Diamanti’s dipping effort.

82: Andrea Barzagli is yellow carded for a challenge on Young.

90: Normal time fails to resolve the tie which goes into extra-time.

93: Italian substitute Christian Maggio is booked for a challenge on Young.

94: Hodgson makes his final change with Parker making way for Jordan Henderson.

101: Diamanti’s curling attempt strikes the base of a post.

112: The dangerous Diamanti shoots wide when well placed from Federico Balzaretti’s centre.

115: Substitute Antonio Nocerino finds the net but has strayed offside.

120: Italy win 4-2 on penalties. Diamanti converts the decisive penalty. Ashley Young hits the bar and Buffon saves from Ashley Cole.

WHAT THEY SAID

JOE HART
“I went in confident we would win the game. I was required to step up and didn’t make the saves. They were superior in regards to chances, but we were very resolute and gave everything when defending.

“I face penalties against Mario Balotelli on the training ground and I felt confident, but he took a good penalty. Of course I expect to make saves, I feel like no-one can beat me.”

STEVEN GERRARD
“It’s heart-breaking, my feelings are exactly the same as previous tournaments. I think all the boys have given everything they have got. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

“I’ve played in these games at club level where you ride your luck, and you think it is your night, especially when we got them to penalties, I thought this was it. It wasn’t to be, but I’m proud of the team and I’ve enjoyed leading the boys.

“From a personal point of view, I’ve left everything out there, and the boys have as well.

We’ve stuck together and worked so hard to get in this position.”

GLEN JOHNSON
“We showed how well we can defend as a team. In the dressing room we thought it was a positive tournament and positive for the future. But that’s football.

“We’ve showed we can defend very well as a unit and if we keep defending we’ll win more games than we lose. Italy are a fantastic side, with some fantastic players, and we matched them well.”

WAYNE ROONEY
“We’re gutted about it, people weren’t expecting much this tournament but we’ve shown we are a good team. This experience will help the young players.

“I don’t know why we can’t win penalty shoot-outs, it’s a hard way to go out and it’s happened too many times now.”

PENALTY DRAMA

Italy
MARIO BALOTELLI
GOAL 1-0
Not surprising to see the Manchester City striker first up for Italy and he does not disappoint, with his low strike finding the corner.

England
STEVEN GERRARD
GOAL 1-1
The captain gets England off to a confident start with an identical effort to Balotelli, with Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon fingertips away.

Italy
RICCARDO MONTOLIVO
MISS 1-1
Montolivo decided to pick the same corner as Balotelli and Gerrard but his effort went well wide of Hart’s right-hand post.

England
WAYNE ROONEY
GOAL 1-2
Despite looking nervous on his approach to the spot, Rooney sends Buffon the wrong way stroking it in the left-hand corner.

Italy
ANDREA PIRLO
GOAL 2-2
The best player on the pitch, the midfielder audaciously draws his side level with a cheeky chip down the centre of Hart’s goal.

England
ASHLEY YOUNG
MISS 2-2
Very much game on as Young opts for power only to see his effort rattle the cross bar.

Italy
ANTONIO NOCERINO
GOAL 3-2
The sub puts Italy back in front and despite a stuttering run-up, confidently strokes to his left.

England
ASHLEY COLE
MISS 3-2
Disaster for England as Cole sees his low effort saved by Buffon, who dives to his right to pull off an ultimately comfortable save.

Italy
ALESSANDRO DIAMANTI
GOAL 4-2
Knowing he can put Italy through to the semi-finals, the midfielder strides up and shoots into the left corner to break England’s hearts.

ENGLAND’S SPOT KICK SHAME

World Cup 1990 v West Germany LOST
Missed: Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle

European Champ.1996 v Spain WON
Missed: No one

European Champ. 1996 v Germany LOST
Missed: Gareth Southgate

World Cup 1998 v Argentina LOST
Missed: Paul Ince and David Batty

European Champ. 2004 v Portugal LOST
Missed: David Beckham and Darius Vassell

World Cup 2006 v Portugal LOST
Missed: Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher

European Champ. 2012 vs Italy LOST
Missed: Ashley Young and Ashley Cole