What The Papers Say - 07 September

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton.

Fears are growing that Everton striker James Vaughan may have suffered a fresh injury blow.

The forward was named in the England under-21 squad to face Macedonia last Friday, but according to the official FA website pulled out “with a knee problem.”

The injury is unconfirmed by Everton, but Vaughan has failed to appear on the substitutes’ bench in their last two matches.

His only action so far this season came in the final eight minutes of the Europa League play-off first leg against Sigma Olomouc.

The 22-year-old has been plagued by a succession of unrelated injuries since he burst onto the Goodison scene as the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history in 2005.

He has suffered foot, shoulder and knee injuries, restricting him to just 49 appearances in four years.

Team-mate Jack Rodwell, however, did figure in the England Under-21 side which beat Macedonia 2-1, setting up an equaliser for Freddie Sears.

England head to Greece for another qualifier tomorrow.

James Wallace, who made his Everton debut as a substitute in the Czech Republic recently, will also be in international action tomorrow for England under-19s.

The English youngsters face Russia at the ProStar Stadium, Shrewsbury.

Wallace made his senior debut when he played the last 25 minutes of Everton’s recent 1-1 draw with Sigma Olomouc.

The Fazakerley-born youngster has been on the fringes of the first team squad since summer 2008 when he appeared in the friendly game against PSV Eindhoven.

He rates this latest milestone as his most significant yet.

“It meant a lot to me,” said.

“I was just absolutely delighted to make my first team debut in a competitive game.

“I had a feeling about it when I got taken off in the reserve game (two days before the Sigma game) with 15 minutes to go, I thought I could be in with a little shout.

“At the game Steve Round told me to warm up and I thought I could get on.

“I know I still have much to work on and I will keep going and keep working.

“I’ll keep playing for the reserves and keep pushing hard and hopefully I’ll make an appearance in the Premier League.”

Joleon Lescott, whose transfer from Everton to Manchester City was recently completed amid much bitterness, was booed onto the pitch by a section of the Wembley crowd on Saturday. Later, to no surprise, he was culpable in Slovenia's goal.

Jill Scott's decisive goal four minutes from the end of extra time took England into their first European final for 25 years. The victory was well deserved. The Holland coach, Vera Pauw, admitted it, saying: "England were the better team." Yet against opponents who for most of a disappointing semi-final were content to defend in depth, poor finishing by Hope Powell's team had threatened to take the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Powell, who as an England player lost on penalties to Sweden in the 1984 final, would not have been happy to see a tie that should have been won comfortably go to spot-kicks. "We missed a few chances," the coach said. "But the main thing is we got there and I'm so delighted to be in the final. Our target before we came here was to play six matches, we're going to do that and now we want to win the tournament."

England will play the winners of tomorrow night's semi-final, in which the favourites Germany face Norway, at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium on Thursday. "I don't care which team we get," said Powell. "Let them battle it out and we'll see the winners on Thursday."

The striker Kelly Smith gave England a 61st-minute lead, but three minutes later the left winger Marious Pieete equalised from one of the few opportunities created by Holland. Powell's side pressed hard for a winner but several good chances were wasted before Scott headed in her late goal.

The winner came from a corner by Karen Carney, who after starting on the substitute's bench proved the game's most influential player when she was introduced in the second half. Leaving out the winger, who had appeared in all eight of the competition's qualifying matches plus the four played previously at the finals, was a surprise move by Powell, who was already without her inured captain, Faye White.

"The Holland full backs are very physical," she said. "And I wanted Jess [Clarke] to run them a bit and then bring Karen [Carney] on."

The coach's ploy worked to perfection – although the reward arrived extremely late. For Clarke it was a first competitive start, and the 20-year-old winger was prominent in the early stages as England attacked down both flanks. But despite having most of the possession they were unable to produce any clear-cut openings against a Dutch side most notable for their resolute defending throughout the tournament.

The closest England came in the first half was through a solo effort by Smith, who swept past two defenders in a 26th-minute run along the by-line but then shot against the midfielder Anouk Hoogendijk, who had dashed across to cover.

As half-time approached, Holland, for the first time, began to look dangerous. But they failed to trouble the England goalkeeper, Rachel Brown, and the introduction of Carney at the start of the second half led to England regaining control. The winger immediately began to cause problems along the right, though it was from the left that the opening goal arrived, the striker Eni Aluko cleverly cutting in from the corner flag to pull the ball back for Smith, who slid the ball in from 10 yards.

England had worked patiently to make the breakthrough, but they then switched off and the midfielder Manon Melis was allowed far too much room to run through on the right before crossing for Pieete to score with a low shot.

The Dutch never threatened a second goal but England, as play went into extra-time, began squandering good chances. In the first five minutes of the extra period the midfielder Fara Williams sent a 12-yard shot over the bar when it was easier to score and the substitute Lianne Sanderson somehow hit the bar from a yard out following good work by Carney.

England continued to probe, and a 99th-minute corner from Carney led to the central-defender Lindsay Johnson forcing Loes Geurts into an impressive, sprawling save from a 15-yard shot. Three minutes later, yet another chance went begging as Scott put a header over the top from another Carney delivery. But Scott soon redeemed herself. The chance arose from a Carney corner and the Everton midfielder's header dropped over the line despite the efforts of Geurts.