While England were losing 2-1 to Romania, good spirits won the day in York as fans proved they do know how to behave themselves.

Publicans and police were today breathing a sigh of relief as disturbances were kept to a minimum despite the disappointing result.

Extra officers had been placed on duty in the wake of 45 arrests made in the wake of England's opening victory against Tunisia.

However, as fans remained mostly good natured, police were confined to keeping a watching brief.

Chief Inspector Gary Barnett said there had been three arrests for public order offences in York but these were not believed to be football related. He said: "It is difficult to tell whether the lack of incident was because people were depressed at England's performance or they were just behaving themselves.

"We had extra patrols on and hopefully people have started to see sense about it and are behaving a little bit better than in the excitement of England's first match." Earlier, at the 8pm kick-off, the city centre had been deserted as hundreds crammed into pubs displaying the match on screens perched in every corner. At the Northern Wall, on the Junction of Fossgate and Pavement, loud chants from eager fans blasted from the crowded doorways. In the narrow streets of the Groves, and other residential areas, all was quiet save for the massed sound of TV sets and the synchronised cheers and cries of pain from armchair England supporters sharing the emotions of the match.

But in one York street a handful of young fans enjoyed a real open-air atmosphere as they cheered along their team.

Tracey Cormack transformed the front garden of her home in Middleton Road, Acomb, into a football festival for her 11-year-old son Martin Whitfield and his friends. A St George's flag was draped over the front of the house and the television was wheeled into the garden as around 20 youngsters, aged from four to 14, watched the game.

Said Tracey: "All the little kids love the football but there's nowhere for them to go, so I thought I'd have a World Cup celebration in the garden."

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