
Lionesses bounce back from being on brink of Euros heartbreak to send fans wild
The Lionesses have beaten Sweden in a nail-biting penalty shootout to secure their place in the Euros semi-finals.
It was a sensational comeback for the England Women who went from being two goals down to equalising with just 10 minutes left on the clock.
The stadium was a cacophony of Sweden's defiant chants competing with the 'c'mon England' war cries from the fans in red white and blue.
And as the Lionesses became one step closer to keeping their title 'champions of Europe', the barmy army were arm in arm in the stands as they belted out Sweet Caroline.
Paul Thompson, 41, who had driven to Zurich with his son Adrian, 16, from Nottingham, said: "I think we will be singing Sweet Caroline all night and dancing."
George Tutty, Eastbourne, said: "Being away from home soil, you wonder if the fans are going to come or not but when you touch down here in Switzerland you can see they're here in force.
"I struggle to stay quiet in any match but I think I've lost my voice after that so I'll need some hot honey to get ready for the next game."
Eleven minutes before the final whistle, an England heartbreak seemed almost certain when they were still 2-0 down 79 minutes in.
But then just 120 seconds later the Lionesses had equalised thanks to two rocket shots from Lucy Bronze and Lioness cub Michelle Agyemang.
The 19-year-old who was once a Wembley ball girl is now England's youngest player and cemented in history as a red, white and blue hero.
As she fell to her knees and roared with pride, the stadium erupted with every single fan brought to their feet in disbelief.
And it was again Bronze, 33, who helped her team romp to victory when she scored the winning penalty, leaving the final score 2-2 (2-3).
Claire Wenman, 33, from Bristol, said: "I'm delighted. I'll be dancing and singing into the night and going into the centre with friends to see where the night takes us. I was quite nervous before the match because Sweden are a tight team but now they're out of the way I think we will make it to the final.
"The atmosphere tonight has been electric, I feel immensely proud to be English."
Shannon Brunskill, 29, Newcastle, said: "I've only missed the France game so far, it was the right game to miss and I feel like I've been a good luck charm after watching them win like that.
"I'll be running around the pub doing a Chloe Kelly celebration with my top off and swinging it round my head. I think I'll be in a state tomorrow."
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