Czech Republic enters Quarterfinals as they beat Poland 1-0 in Euro Cup 2012 Group A match

Czech Republic enters Euro Cup 2012 Quarterfinals

Co-hosts Poland crashed out of the European Championship as they lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium on Saturday with their opponents winning Group A.

Petr Jiracek scored the only goal of the game 18 minutes from time as the Czechs joined Greece - the 2004 champions - in the quarter-finals.

Given the hosts' absolute need to win it was no surprise they set a manic tempo from the off and the first half hour must have made uncomfortable viewing for the visiting Czech fans.

The Poles registered six shots in a dominant early spell, with twice in the opening minutes the home fans let out a brief cheer but Dariusz Dudka's overhead bicycle kick and Ludovic Obraniak's free-kick both hit the side-netting rather than the back one.

The second half was the reverse of the first with Poland melting away and the Czech Republic piling forwards. It was the Czechs who took the initiative armed with the knowledge that they too needed a win. They won several free-kicks around the edge of the Polish box, most of which were defended well.

The Czechs finally made the breakthrough as the match entered the final 20 minutes.Rafal Murawski tried to drive forward from midfield and lost the ball with little cover behind him. Baros surged into the Polish box and laid the ball off to Jiracek. The Wolfsburg attacker cut inside his marker and sidefooted a low finish underneath Tyton and into the far corner.

It means Poland have never reached the knock-out stages of the Euros while the Czech Republic did so for the third time in five editions.

Poland become only the second host nation, after Austria four years ago, to be eliminated at the group stage as they failed to claim their first ever win in the competition.