Pearce lauds Loach

England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce heaped praise on Watford goalkeeper Scott Loach after he pulled off a string a fine saves to earn his team a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Greece in their European Championship qualifier. The 21-year-old was easily England's best performer as he kept a lively Greek attack at bay in tricky, rain-soaked conditions after Sotiris Ninis' deflected equaliser five minutes before half-time cancelled out Daniel Sturridge's fifth-minute opener. The draw between the Group Nine rivals means England move up to second in the section - three points behind leaders Greece - having taken four points from their two matches. "I thought our goalkeeper Scott Loach was outstanding," said Pearce. "For me he was by far the man of the match. "I chose him rather than our two other goalkeepers because he's seen plenty of action from his loan spells and he is now a regular with his club so is more experienced."

Source: Eurosport