ENGLAND have once again fallen short at a major tournament after Gareth Southgate’s side capitulated against Italy, resulting in a third successive group-stage exit at the Under-21 European Championships.

A year to the day since a goalless draw with Costa Rica rubber-stamped the senior team’s disastrous World Cup, the new generation blew a golden opportunity to progress to the semi-finals in the Czech Republic.

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England’s destiny was in their own hands after the last-gasp win against Sweden, but it proved a false dawn as the Azzurrini triumphed 3-1 and the national team was once again found wanting.

Questions will be asked of Southgate and his selections after the Young Lions finished bottom of Group B, but few expect the head coach to pay with his job like predecessor Stuart Pearce.

Unlike the unmitigated disaster of Israel two years ago, this tournament has been more a case of what could have been - epitomised by Danny Ings, the exiting Burnley striker, and Harry Kane coming close before defensive hesitancy allowed Italy to take the lead.

Within two minutes of Andrea Belotti impressively turning home against the run of play, Luigi Di Biagio’s side were celebrating a second as Marco Benassi’s low strike took a crucial deflection off Ben Gibson and trickled home.

Jesse Lingard attempted to add to his wonder-strike against Sweden after half-time, but he and his England team-mates only fell further behind thanks to man-of-the-match Benassi’s fine header.

Nathan Redmond rifled home in stoppage-time but it was too little too late as England exited at the group stage - a fate they shared with Italy after Sweden’s late equaliser against Portugal.

Southgate named a strong line-up in Olomouc, where Jake Forster-Caskey was the only surprise inclusion in a side which saw Lingard, Ings and John Stones also come in.

England certainly started brightly enough, with Redmond’s early crosses making the Italians nervous.

Liverpool-bound Ings, playing in the number 10 role, was also having an impact, but the Azzurrini were causing a few problems for England’s altered defence.

Italy’s first shot of the evening was quickly followed by England’s and Ings was angry with himself after failing to convert it. Kane showed impressive vision in producing a fine, threaded pass to the Liverpool new boy, only for him to fire into the side-netting.

This was far from one-way traffic, though, and last-gasp interventions were required to prevent Italy creating a goal-scoring opportunity, although Belotti was close to reaching a deflected cross.

Southgate’s men responded well and almost took a spectacular lead through Kane, who wonderfully controlled a diagonal Carl Jenkinson pass then hit a curling effort Francesco Bardi impressively clawed away.

It was missed opportunity that cost England.

First a quickly-taken free-kick caught the backline napping, with Berardi sending in a cross directed home exquisitely by Belotti.

It was a 25th-minute sucker punch followed by yet another two minutes later.

Italy went at England’s defence, with Benassi taking aim from the edge of the box and beating Jack Butland with an effort which took a deflection off Gibson’s knee.

It was a hammer blow that Southgate’s men struggled to respond to.

Ings screwed wide and then almost flicked a free-kick into Kane’s path.

Kane headed over after Benassi threatened at the other end, but the Italy midfielder soon had his second - a long throw was flicked on and he rose impressively to head past Butland and rubber-stamp England’s exit.

Kane and Redmond were amongst those to try their luck in desperation, with Ings almost notching from close-range.

England did net in stoppage-time through a wonderful Redmond strike but it was little consolation as the Young Lions again went home early.