WHEN beanpole striker Peter Crouch crashed in his 83rd minute header, The Warehouse bar at Zetland Street in Huddersfield town centre erupted.

Beer was flung into the air and rained down on supporters hugging each other in delight.

But this was not a reaction of euphoria on the back of a scintillating England performance - this was the shared outpouring of collective relief.

For England fans expected a goal- fest against the under-dogs of Trinidad and Tobago.

Let's not forget many of their players play League 1 football.

And so despite England being through to the last 16 of the World Cup, and winning their first two opening games of a major tournament for the first time since I can remember, there was a rather subdued atmosphere in town last night.

Steven Gerrard's last minute wonder-strike gave fans more to cheer but afterwards everyone seemed to know it could have been a very different result.

Drivers honked their horns and people chanted in the street while pub speakers blasted out footie anthems `Three Lions' and `Vindaloo'.

But overall the bulk of fans appeared to drift home, trying to convince themselves that the national side can play better and are still one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Berlin.

Speaking after the game Freddie Darko, 38, an administrator, from Marsh, said: "Well, I was a bit disappointed at first by the England performance, but the Gerrard goal was the kind of goal that can win you the World Cup - so it's all good.

"If it ends like that I don't care about the rest of the time.

"It was a bit disappointing. They weren't playing like a typical sort of aggressive, stylish World Cup team."

Ruth Peck, a 30-year-old teacher who lives in Newsome, said: "I didn't think they played very well in the first half."

Asked if England can go all the way she said: "No. We usually drop out in the quarter finals."

John Fallowfield, 28, an accountant from Slaithwaite, said: "There's a few teams that are looking good. The Czechs put in a good performance, so did the Spanish, and England have struggled past Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago."

Alan Hardy, a 28-year-old graphic designer from Longwood, said: "It was nerve wracking!

"The worry about it is we don't seem to get enough goals.

"Crouch is looking OK, but we haven't got anybody who's outstanding up front, but it was pretty good to see Wayne Rooney back in the team."

As for the other contenders he said: "Argentina looked good the other night, Germany I'm not too sure about. They played well, but they got that last minute goal.

"I think Brazil are beatable."