FOOTBALL fans and landlords were celebrating as England's super subs climbed off the bench to secure a vital win in their Battle of Britain European Championships clash with Wales.

Pubs and bars across Colchester town centre were packed for the match this afternoon which England won 2-1 with a late strike from Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge.

Dozens of people took time off work to crowd around half a dozen screens in The Castle Inn on High Street, but the mood was dampened when Gareth Bale put Wales in front from a long-range free-kick after a goalkeeping error from England stopper Joe Hart.

But the Jamie Vardy party broke out in the pub when the Leicester City talisman tapped in from close range to level the scores, and the bar erupted when Sturridge nabbed the late winner to put the Three Lions back on course to qualify from the group.

Chef Kieren Riley, 34, said he thought England had a chance of winning the competition if Roy Hodgson learned lessons from the second half and kept on with his brave selection policy.

He said: "I thought the line-up should have been changed from the start and I felt sorry for Harry Kane when he came off.

"But they were good positive changes and the substitutes have made it difficult to look past them for the next game.

"I think we can win it but it depends on Roy Hodgson being as bold as he was today."

Vinny Flynn, 36, booked time off well in advance and had a feeling England would grab their late winner.

He said: "Hodgson made some braver subs, putting all the strikers on and it paid off.

"When we started attacking at the end I had a feeling a goal was coming and it did."

Huw Davies, 28, was the only Welshman in the pub and struggled to hide his disappointment, although he still thinks Wales have a great chance of qualifying to the knockout rounds.

He said: "We should have defended better and it was definitely upsetting when the goal went in especially because I was the only Welshman here.

"I still think we will qualify, along with England and having some third places teams going through definitely helps.

"If we can get to the quarter finals I will be pleased."