England 2 Greece 2

After all the excitement, uncertainty and drama of the last twelve months, England today confirmed their place in next summer's World Cup finals in Korea and Japan.

Was their automatic qualification spot ever in doubt? Only until about 80 seconds before Dutch referee Dick Jol blew his whistle to end the football match but start a carnival for the 66,000 inside Old Trafford.

A quite extraordinary game at the Theatre of Dreams must go down as one of the most dramatic matches in which the Three Lions have ever been involved.

As a relieved and ecstatic Sven-Goran Eriksson told TheFA.com after the game: "It was a great day for football, not necessarily in the way in which we played - because we have most certainly played better than we did today - but in the drama of the game.

"I hope not all matches will be like that in the future," added England's coach, "it was not easy to watch from the bench."

The capacity crowd inside Old Trafford and the millions watching at home would no doubt suggest to England's Swedish saviour that was not an easy match to watch from any vantage point.

With the World Cup finals within touching distance for England, it had looked until deep into injury time as though Otto Rehhagel, Greece's German coach, was going to realise his ambition of gifting his country of birth a place in the finals at England's expense.

Certainly credit must be paid to Greece and their coach. As Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted, this was a very different Greece side to the one that capitulated to Finland last month.

Today they played with a skill, confidence and a tactical cuteness that threatened to trip England as they looked to overcome the final hurdle that stood in their way of a ticket to Korea and Japan.

Twice the Three Lions were indebted to Nigel Martyn for goal-saving blocks as the Leeds goalkeeper proved once and for all that he is a man who can rise to the biggest international occasion.

Yet, despite the brilliance of Martyn, and the class of goalscoring substitute, Teddy Sheringham, England's undoubted hero on the day was David Beckham.

It is impossible to imagine how one player could have tried harder for his team.

He was a colossus, ceaselessly running but always with a purpose and a focus. He was also an inspiration: showing incredible levels of individual skill always with an end product.

And, most importantly of all, he was a match saver.

When he stepped up to take a free kick in the second minute of injury time, everyone in the ground, not least the man himself, knew that this was probably England's final chance.

The ground fell silent, and watched in adulation and awe as their hero managed to produce one of his finest free kicks at a time when his country most needed it.

"He deserved that goal," said Eriksson, "because today he played one of the best games that I have ever seen him play.

"He was exactly the captain that we needed - always running, always inspiring his team mates."

In truth, it was an England team that, for much of the game, desperately required the leadership and inspiration that Beckham so magnificently provided.

The home side had looked on edge long before Greek centre forward Angelos Choristeas silenced Old Trafford with an immaculately struck low angled drive which raced into the side netting to give the visitors the lead on 36 minutes.

Sven-Goran Eriksson knew he had to make changes at half time and the introduction of Andrew Cole certainly added some much needed pace and mobility to England's frontline.

However, it was the appearance of an ageless 35 year-old midway through the second period that proved to be the more decisive substitution.

Teddy Sheringham had been on the pitch for all of ten seconds when he rose high to meet a Beckham free kick at the near post. The Tottenham man added the most delightful headed flick to loop the ball over Nikopolidis and re-ignite Old Trafford as well as England's World Cup dream.

It was a moment that had echoes of Manchester United v Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in Barcelona in which another masterful substitute's appearance from Sheringham had secured victory for the English team.

Victory, however, was far from secure on this occasion and, within three minutes, Nikolaidis had restored Greece's lead, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to fire clinically past Martyn.

England responded the challenge, committing everyone forward in chase of an equaliser, but as the seconds ticked away, it looked as though that so-longed for automatic qualification spot was slipping away too.

Then news filtered through that Finland had held Germany to a draw. It meant one goal would be enough.

The canny Sheringham won a free kick on the edge of Greece's box with a minute and half of injury time on the clock.

Just for a second though, time seemed to stand still as David Beckham stepped up to earn himself a place in the nation's hearts, and, more importantly, his country a place in the World Cup finals.

"I'm delighted to have qualified," concluded Eriksson. "It means we do not have to worry about the play-offs and we can concentrate on planning instead.

"Today is the first step. Let's be satisfied with what we have achieved today and then we can look to do even better tomorrow."

England: Martyn, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Keown, Ashley Cole (McManaman 78), Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Barmby (Andy Cole 45), Fowler (Sheringham 67), Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Southgate, Wright, Carragher, Murphy.
Booked: Scholes.

Greece: Nikopolidis, Patsatzoglou, Dabizas, Vokolos, Costas Konstantinidis, Fissas, Zagorakis (Basinas 56),
Kassapis, Karagounis, Charisteas (Lakis 73), Nikolaidis (Machlas 86).
Subs Not Used: Venetidis, Georgiadis, Chalkias, Vrizas.
Booked: Zagorakis.

Att: 66,009
Ref: Dick Jol (Holland)

From Daniel Freedman at Old Trafford