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An extra-time goal from Tyrone Mears, the only Englishman playing for a French club, took Marseille into the Uefa Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.

On loan from Derby, Mears's 110th- minute header gave Marseille a 2-2 draw with Ajax for a 4-3 aggregate victory.

The goal capped a memorable few days for Mears, who made his Ligue 1 debut on Sunday in the 3-1 away win over bitter rivals Paris St Germain.

Mears has seized his chance following an injury to defender Laurent Bonnart.

The 26-year-old joined Marseille at the start of the season on a year-long loan, but not before he was heavily fined by Derby who said he had left without permission.

In Amsterdam on Wednesday, he pounced to head in a rebound after former Liverpool winger Boudewijn Zenden's free kick was blocked.

Ajax, 2-1 down from the first leg, had forced extra time when Serbia striker Miralem Sulejmani put them into a 2-1 lead on 74 minutes.

Just past the half-hour Cameroonian midfielder Eyong Enoh sprung the offside trap to latch on to a Luis Suarez pass to give Ajax the lead.

Within two minutes Marseille were level when Bakari Kone crossed low for Mamadou Niang to equalise.

Ajax finished with 10 men after defender Bruno Silva was red-carded in the closing seconds for elbowing Hatem Ben Arfa.

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