FIRST the ecstasy - and then the late, late agony.

It was a case of deja vu as England fans across Hampshire watched their heroes lose to two goals scored in the dying seconds of the big Euro 2004 clash with France.

As bemused drinkers in the Mitre pub in Portswood, Southampton, looked blankly at each other after the final whistle, a group of four French fans punched the air and cheered their miraculous last-gasp escape.

"We were lucky. I can't quite believe that we ended up winning," said a relieved Stephane Fourre, 26, a finance worker from France who is visiting friends in Southampton.

Every one of the 300 drinkers had had to walk through a player's tunnel and on to 40 square metres of freshly laid turf in the pub, making them feel they were with their team every step of the way.

Scaffolder Trevor Moody, 56, from Bitterne Park, had left nothing to chance by being the first person through the pub's doors when it opened at 11am yesterday morning to bag the best seat in the house.

A cheerfully expectant atmosphere gripped the pub before kick-off, with the only visible nerves coming from people standing at the bar who feared not getting served before the game started.

After 38 minutes England's captain David Beckham sent in a free kick to be met by Frank Lampard's head. Had it hit the side netting? Did it go in? A roar swept the pub, arms were raised in celebration, drinks flew through the air and no one could be left in any doubt.

The half-time whistle sounded and traditional sliced oranges were brought round on trays for fans wilting from the sticky heat.

"It's not finished yet. England have had one chance and one goal. We are going to win," warned Stephane who, along with his compatriots, was the target of some good-natured songs.

When Wayne Rooney's run into the French box was ended with a cynical foul and Beckham stepped up the giant screen was almost lost amid a sea of bodies as everyone got to their feet. The penalty miss was met with silence - apart from the French visitors, who were in ecstasy.

With just a few minutes of normal time to go, singing and chanting was deafening as the fans urged their team to cling on to victory with everything they had.

Suddenly France's Zinedine Zidane scored. The goal was met with the sound of pints smashing as astonished punters lost their grip. A minute later and the world's best player scored again.

The final whistle went seconds later and the cheerful banter of just three minutes earlier had given way to open-mouthed dejection.