Wembley just went wild. In front of 66,000 boisterous fans, the Three Lions finally passed a test of their nerve.

England's 55-year wait to reach a major final is over after a nail-biting win over a battling Denmark side in a Euro 2020 semifinal on Wednesday. The 90 minutes of regulation time had been incredibly tense, with Gareth Southgate's troops creating few clear-cut chances. Mikkel Damsgaard's stunning free-kick after 30 minutes drove them into a corner and revived memories of past knockout disappointments in major tournaments. 

This time, however, England rode their luck to find a way back. When they needed a quick response, Bukayo Saka's shrewd cross was duly bundled over Denmark's goal-line by their luckless captain Simon Kjaer. Amazingly, it was the tournament's 11th own goal, eclipsing the combined number of the previous 15.

Then, the moment the nation has waited for so long arrived in extra time. Raheem Sterling wriggled into the area, cut inside and fell under the challenge of Mattias Jensen. The contact appeared minimal, but the referee felt it was sufficient to award the penalty and the VAR agreed. 

Harry Kane, who hardly ever misses penalties, fluffed his lines and his tame shot was easily saved by Kasper Schmeichel. But Lady Luck smiled on England again as the rebound fell at the England captain's feet and he lashed the ball into the empty net and made sure they will travel one step further than any England side has done since the 1966 World Cup final win against West Germany. 

"For once it fell our way," said a much-relieved Kane after the game. "We responded really well after falling 1-0 down but we controlled the game. First time in our history to get through to the European final and at Wembley, it is one of the proudest moments of my life, for sure." 

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand expressed bitterness over the penalty decision and bemoaned the manner of the winning goal. "One thing is to lose a game, but losing this way is a disappointment because these guys have fought a lot," he said. "We have to digest this before we can describe these feelings. It's a bitter way to leave the tournament." 

Southgate, however, brushed off the controversial spot kick and relished the chance to bring a major trophy home at last after so many years of hurt. 

"When you've waited as long as we have to get through a semifinal, the players – considering the limited international experience some of them have – have done an incredible job," he said. "The most pleasing thing is we've given the fans and nation a fantastic night and the journey carries on for another four days." 

Once the jubilation has died down, England must prepare to battle their way out of adversity once more against Italy on Sunday. As Southgate said, "We've got to enjoy the fact we're in the final but there's one more massive hurdle to conquer."