England fans across the city were left heartbroken and anguished after a nail-biting quarter-final clash against France saw the Three Lions knocked out of the World Cup.

Supporters were devastated as a missed penalty by Harry Kane all but secured victory for the defending world champions.

Hundreds of football fans packed out bars across Brighton ahead of the clash, which would have taken England to a semi-final fixture against Morocco next Wednesday.

Pubgoers at Ye Olde King and Queen in Marlborough Place expressed optimism at the start of the night, with Nia Mutuma confident of an England win.

“We are going to clobber the French,” she said, with her friends Charles and Izzy saying they thought the match would end with a 2-1 England victory. In a cruel twist of fate, the pair would get the score correct, but pick the wrong winner.

Inside the pub itself, fans were in full voice, cheering and singing as the match drew nearer. However, there was a sense of apprehension from some fans.

Tom, in particular, said: “I’m confident we can win, but it depends on who turns up on the day and how we perform.”

The crowd’s initial optimism was left shattered just 17 minutes into the fixture as France managed to score. The blow silenced supporters in the pub for a few moments, with the exception of a small, but vocal, group of French fans who gleefully cheered with delight.

The rest of the first half left pubgoers exasperated, with supporters hurling insults at the referee and at the French team as England’s hopes of a place in the semi-final ebbed away.

Despite the disappointment, supporter Ed Myers still thought England could turn the match around and secure a victory.

“We have been the better team, so I do hope we can win,” he said.

The Argus: Ed Myers remained hopeful that England could win the match, despite France taking an early leadEd Myers remained hopeful that England could win the match, despite France taking an early lead (Image: The Argus)

The Three Lions came storming out of the gate during the second half, with several attempts to score which left the crowd full of anticipation but without the goal that would keep their hopes alive.

However, fans did not have to wait long after Harry Kane scored a penalty to equalise with France, sending the crowd into a frenzy of celebrations.

Supporters became more animated and buoyant as England’s chances in the tournament were seemingly revived. However, a rollercoaster of a second half then saw France score a second time and Harry Kane miss a second penalty with just minutes left of the match.

As it dawned on England fans that the national team would be knocked out, the pub became quieter. Some fans held their head in their hands, while others covered their mouths in shock, or put their arms around their friends to console them.

The final whistle came and it was all over - England’s fate was sealed after a tortuous and grueling match.

As the crowd spilled out into the cold night, the disappointment was palpable.

“It feels like we lost on penalties,” one fan said, echoing the views of many as they disappeared home to ponder what could have been.

France, the reigning world champions, will go on to play Morocco in the World Cup semi-final on December 14.