Pearce's Young Lions saved their best performance of the competition in Denmark for last, but a nightmare end to the game saw them concede in the final minute and stoppage-time to lose 2-1.

That ultimately denied them a semi-final spot but it was their draws against Spain and especially Ukraine which cost them most, as Pearce acknowledged.

"How we played in the other two games has probably cost us," he said.

"We didn't play well against the Ukraine. But it's all good learning."

Despite the manner of England's Group B performances, Pearce insisted his side were good enough to have reached the final.

"We felt if we'd won the game today, the momentum would have carried us on all the way through to the final," he said.

"But credit to the Czechs. They are a good side, strong in qualification, very dogged and difficult to break down.

"We're disappointed but we have to learn from it."

Pearce also insisted England had been "lumped" with the worst possible draw, pointing out Group A was far easier to qualify from.

"People don't realise the magnitude of the group we were put in," he said.

"You've only got to look at the other group.

"A team's come out of that group having lost two matches. That tells you they might have lumped the stronger teams together.

"But that's tournament football."