A GALLON of lager, greasy chip buttie and a drag on a celebratory cigar.

The average diet of a die-hard football fan in Worcester, like England's performance, left a lot to be desired this morning.

But this was Sven'sday, and the Faithful City was up for it.

Calorific content - like the draw with Nigeria - was not a concern for the early morning punters.

Bleary-eyed fans in bars and factories across the city braved the 7.30am start, knowing a win or draw would see them into the next round.

And they heaved a sigh of relief when England scraped through - and Argentina crashed out.

Factory workers at bpi.consumer VMB in Blackpole watched the first half nervously from a grandstand of pallets.

"The African teams are unpredictable," said Peter Gwilliam, print supervisor, who predicted the draw.

"They keep showing a few flares of genius."

Early-risers looked edgy in The Courtyard before World Cup breakfasts and flowing pints calmed their nerves.

"I've just had a big breakfast and a couple of pints," said Neil Larner from Warndon.

"The beer's not going down as fast as I normally like but I'm slowly getting into it."

Although the city's bars were not as packed as they were for last Friday's historic Argentina clash, the atmosphere in RSVP was still rocking.

Jessica Gilkes, of Himbleton, was on a double celebration, watching Sven's men go through and celebrating her 20th birthday.

"I was in Le Mango nightclub until 3.30am this morning," she said.

"But I set my alarm clock because I wasn't going to miss this match. I've stuck to the soft drinks this morning."

Blackpole McDonald's worker Gaz Holmes was leading the drinking and cheering - despite facing an exam at Worcester Sixth Form College this afternoon.

"I've got a media studies exam at 1.30pm. I'm having a couple of beers to calm the nerves," he said.

A fine 25-yard effort from Scholes, which hit the post, raised the biggest cheer of the first half.

When the final whistle went, following the workman-like performance, relief spread across the faces of the fans as England march on to face Denmark in the last 16.