THERE was a collective sigh of relief in the pubs, clubs and homes of Worcestershire as England once again toiled in the World Cup - this time edging past group minnows Trinidad and Tobago.

As the county was gripped by the frenzied fever of the tournament, once again thousands of fans left work early to head to a TV screen.

At 5pm as England kicked off the pubs throughout the Faithful City and beyond were at melting point with hordes of expectant supporters, many of them bedecked with patriotic memorabilia.

One such pub was The Crown and Anchor, in Hylton Road, with drinkers hoping for better than the lethargic 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the opening game.

As the match kicked off there was a boisterous atmosphere as men and women sat around several screens.

However, as Sven's men struggled to breach the underdog's goal the atmosphere dropped and there was plenty of downbeat talk after a stuttering first half performance when, despite their chances, they could have been behind only for John Terry's clearance off the line.

Needless to say, the Crown and Anchor was somewhat subdued at half-time as fans discussed what was going wrong. With more zip at the start of the second half the fans' spirits lifted and there was a huge roar when the most spoken about footballer in England, Wayne Rooney, took to the field.

As England pressed the drinking got faster and the fans became gripped by the game.

As time ran out, Peter Crouch's headed goal brought roars of triumph from many and, as laughter replaced frowns, a splendid evening was completed as Stevie Gerrard lashed in a second goal.

Along Hylton Road you could hear the chants 'Rooney, Rooney', knowing that football fever will once again envelop the Faithful City next Tuesday evening when England play Sweden.