IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST

Substitute Poku nicks it late to send the 10-man Dutch through to the semi-finals

- BY RYAN TAYLOR

HOLLAND stunned Portugal to reach the Under-21 European Championship semi-finals - despite playing 79 minutes with 10 men.

Second-half substitute Ernest Poku struck the all-important winner on the break with six minutes to play as dominant Portugal were left to lick their wounds after failing to break through the Oranje's resolute defence.

This closely-contested last-eight clash had initially looked a mismatch.

Portugal, who topped Group C without conceding a goal, had scored nine times in the group stage.

But they looked short of ideas and were left to rue new £44million Chelsea signing Geovany Quenda’s first-half penalty miss.