Stuart Pearce's England U-21s squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against an Ecuador Select XI at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga.

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• Matchcast: England U-21 v Ecuador

A superb individual goal by Adam Johnson was followed by a slick counter attack which was rounded off by Fraizer Campbell to give England a two-nil lead at half-time.

But two goals in as minutes by Jofre Guerron and Pablo Palacios drew Ecuador level, before Felipe Caicedo fired a stunning winner to clinch victory for the South American side.

It was Pearce's first defeat as manager of the side, and their first in 29 games as they prepare for the U-21 European Championships in Sweden in June.

England were shocked into action as early as the third minute after Walter Ayovi whipped a 20 yard free-kick over the wall and against Tom Heaton's near post, with the keeper beaten; but Pearce's side took heed of that warning.

The Fabio Capello-influenced 4-3-3 formation was ideally suited to the pace and vigour of Michael Kightly, Johnson and Campbell, and Ecuador's defence looked stretched on numerous occasions.

In the fourteenth minute, a sublime flick by Johnson over the head of the onrushing Segundo Matamba, created the space for a clinical finish with his right-foot past Jose Cevallos; the Middlesbrough winger suddenly had all the poise of Paul Gascoigne.

Ecuador in response created little, with Everton's Segundo Castillo and Manchester City's Felipe Caicedo made to look sluggish by their English counterparts.

In the 37th minute a precise free-kick from Michael Kightly narrowly evaded his Wolves team-mate, Richard Stearman, who stole in at the back post but failed to connect with his header.

Campbell then doubled England's lead in the 42nd minute after a superb counter-attack; Micah Richards dispossessed Ayovi, before feeding Kightly down the left, who found Campbell in space with the striker finishing crisply past Cevallos.

Ecuador hauled themselves back into the game on 53 minutes after Joffre Guerron caught Joe Mattock out of position down the right and coolly slotted past Heaton.

That defensive aberration was compounded seconds later as this time Michael Mancienne was caught napping with a ball over the top, and Pablo Palacios capitalised on the mistake to equalise.

Caicedo began to show his potential, bustling his way powerfully into the England box on 53 minutes and bringing a smart point-blank stop from Heaton down low to his right.

The imposing forward then demonstrated his class with a stunning winner in the 82nd minute; collecting the ball with his back to goal, he spun Steven Taylor with a sharp swivel and finished emphatically.

Great determination from Campbell down the right byline almost resulted in an equaliser for England in the dying minutes as his lay-back narrowly evaded Danny Welbeck's run, just five yards out.

Even later drama then ensued as Campbell converted the rebound after Tom Huddlestone's powerful drive was parried by Cevallos, but it was harshly adjudged to be offside.