ENGLAND U21s left it late to come from a goal down to defeat Ukraine at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, thanks to two well-taken James McAtee goals in the final five minutes.

After a goalless first half where England were the better side, it was their visitors who opened the scoring through Taras Mykhavko with 70 minutes on the clock.

But England turned it around through McAtee’s late brace, as the Manchester City midfielder broke the Ukrainian hearts with well-taken goals either side of the 90 minute mark.

The result has all-but secured English qualification for the European Championships in Slovakia next summer.

Cherries' Alex Scott was named among the substitutes at his home ground, as interim head coach Ben Futcher opted for Jack Hinshelwood and Tyler Morton in central midfield.

Both sides came into the game with an eye on securing qualification from group F, with Ukraine sitting top of the group with eight wins from their eight, while England were second with six.

(Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) The hosts got the game underway, and they created the first change of the game as McAtee fired a shot over the bar from the right side of the Ukraine box with four minutes on the board.

The next chance fell to Omari Hutchinson on 15 minutes after fantastic work by Lewis Hall on the left.

He broke through the visitors’ midfield and found Jaden Philogene, whose cut back came nicely to the Ipswich winger, who fired over the bar with a first-time effort.

McAtee had another sighting of goal after 24 minutes and should have found the back of the net.

He did well to poach the ball from the Oleh Ocheretko in the Ukraine box, but his one-on-one effort well saved by Ruslan Neshcheret in the net.

(Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) Maksym Khlan was the first player to go into the book a minute later for a foul on the right just outside the box, with the resulting Tyler Morton free kick headed clear.

The Young Lions were on top but were unable to fashion any clear-cut chances after McAtee’s saved effort before the break.

Hutchinson saw an attempt go over the bar from a tight angle after he did well to latch onto a long ball over the top but he was too close to the byline to have a realistic opportunity.

Jarell Quansah’s header from a corner went well wide as the sides went into one added minute at the end of the half, before a Hall cut back went wide off Hutchinson and the sides went into the break goalless.

At halftime, Ukraine’s Illia Krupskyi was replaced by Maksym Braharu.

England started the second period quickly, with the first chance of the half falling to Liam Delap, who did well on the edge of the box to create space for a shot, but he fired just over the bar.

McAtee went close again with his left footed effort from just outside the box curling wide.

Philogene then did brilliantly to beat his man on the left wing and drive into the box, but he shot straight at Neshcheret, before Hutchinson saw a header safely collected by the keeper after the Aston Villa man’s ball in.

England had a good chance to take lead a few minutes later, as Philogene saw his shot saved by the keeper one-on-one after finding space in the box.

Liam Delap was booked for dissent after 54 minutes, before the visitors went to their bench two minutes later, with Khlan and Ihor Krasnopir replaced by Artem Smoliakov and Ihor Horbach.

(Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) Hall did well to track back and block a Nazar Voloshyn shot that was headed for goal with a sliding challenge shortly before the hour mark.

The first England substitutes of the night came after 63 minutes, with Archie Gray and Hutchinson replaced by Morgan Rogers and Jamie Gittens.

A dangerous Ukraine ball across the six-yard box was turned behind for a corner, before Braharu shot well wide after Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed clear.

Braharu went close moments later, too, cutting inside from the left wing but shooting wide.

The visitors were building up a head of steam and they took the lead on the stroke of 70 minutes.

(Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) A Oleh Ocheretko corner was flighted into the back post, where Taras Mykhavko was there to meet it, out jumping Rogers.

The visitors went to their bench shortly after opening the scoring, with Oleh Fedor replaced by Oleksandr Yatsyk.

Tyler Morton was replaced by Elliot Anderson with 12 minutes to play as England searched for an equaliser.

Rogers fired over with nine minutes to play, before Futcher made his final two subs, Jack Hinshelwood and Jaden Philogene replaced by Dane Scarlett and Samuel Iling-Junior.

Ukraine also went to their bench, with Voloshyn replaced by Illia Kvasnytsia.

There were shouts for an England penalty with four minutes to play after a Braharu foul on McAtee, but it was just outside the box.

And it was McAtee who found the net with a stunning effort from the resulting free kick, striking home into the top corner off the underside of the crossbar.

It was an emotional goal for McAtee after the death of former Sheffield United teammate George Baldock earlier this week, with the midfielder revealing a tribute to Baldock under his shirt. 

(Image: Adam Davy/PA Wire) Into five minutes of added time, England pressed for a late winner.

And they found it after a ball across the box from Gittens wasn’t cleared properly by the Ukrainian defence after a flick on by Scarlett and it fell to McAtee, who finished brilliantly into the bottom corner.

Delap then went close after some great work to burst through the defence to be one-on-one with Neshcheret, but the keeper saved well.

England closed out the game as they are set to face Azerbaijan on Tuesday, while Ukraine play Serbia in the final round of games.

After results went their way on Sunday, the Young Lions have confirmed their place in the Championships next summer. 

Attendance at the Vitality Stadium was 9,858.