DAVID Seaman signed his own international death warrant last night when he made the sort of mistake that has regrettably become part of his repertoire in the last four months.

For Ronaldinho and the searing heat of Shizuoka in June, read Artim Sakiri and a cool October evening in Southampton.

And as Seaman watched the Macedonia midfielder's corner sail over his head and into the England net after 11 minutes yesterday, the growing murmur around the game that the Arsenal goalkeeper should have retired after the World Cup suddenly became a crescendo.

On a thoroughly miserable night for England, Alan Smith was sent off for a second bookable offence deep in second-half stoppage time.

Whether Seaman's error ultimately cost England two precious points in the fight to qualify for Euro 2004 is debatable, for David Beckham had equalised by the time Sol Campbell gifted Macedonia the lead for the second time.

Steven Gerrard struck a superb 20-yard volley to restore parity before half-time, and after the restart England spurned a handful of presentable chances.

Yet Sven-Goran Eriksson's team could not point to bad luck as they conducted a post-mortem last night, for they had been the architects of their own downfall.

Macedonia were held 1-1 by Liechtenstein last month, a result that makes Scotland's 2-2 draw with the Faroe Islands look creditable.

They also went into last night's game without their best player, former Barnsley striker Georgi Hristov, yet either side of some desperate defending they played with a swagger.

Seaman was in tears in the summer after he fatally misjudged Ronaldinho's free-kick, an error that dashed the nation's World Cup dreams.

But after ignoring advice to bow out when he was towards the peak of his powers, having won the Double with Arsenal in May, his decline is being watched with increasing sadness by the fans who once feted him.

Bolton Wanderers' Gareth Farrelly embarrassed Seaman when he sent a cross beyond the keeper's grasp and inside the far post for a freak goal in September.

This season has also seen Gianfranco Zola fool the man once dubbed "Safe Hands" but who is fast becoming a liability for club and country.

A glittering international career that began in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and has seen Seaman go through the full gamut of footballing emotions was winding down before last night's aberration.

Now, though, Sven Goran Eriksson will come under intolerable pressure to overlook Seaman in favour of either David James or Paul Robinson.

Age has ravaged the 39-year-old's agility, and whereas he once commanded his penalty area, he now looks vulnerable whenever he has to deal with a cross.

Last night, he paid the ultimate price for taking a step forward as Sakiri delivered the corner, and he was unable to recover his position in time to claw the ball to safety.

Seaman's plight was perhaps best summed up by the ironic cheers that came from the England fans whenever he gathered even the most innocuous high ball following his early mistake.

By then, the damage to England's cause had been done - and Seaman's international obituaries were already being written.

Macedonia had scarcely threatened when Sakiri's inswinging corner from the right wing beat Seaman and Paul Scholes, stationed on the far post.

That shocked England into action, and within two minutes they were level, Scholes' through ball releasing Beckham and the captain lifting his shot over goalkeeper Petar Milosevski.

But England's performance was a disjointed one, and after Gerrard lost possession with a lazy pass they fell behind again.

Sakiri mishit his shot but Campbell did not get enough trajectory or power behind his clearance. The ball fell to Vanco Trajanov 20 yards out and he steadied himself before steering his shot beyond Seaman.

Just as he did against Greece last October, Beckham was trying to carry England along on his own, and it was from his perseverance that the hosts levelled again after 35 minutes.

He chased down an errant Scholes pass and headed the ball into the danger area. Macedonia failed to clear and Gerrard controlled on his chest before drilling his shot into the corner.

The goal was the one bright spot on a bad night for Gerrard, who was stretchered off in the 55th minute.

Macedonia came under incessant pressure in the second-half, and a third England goal appeared inevitable.

But Eriksson's side just could not apply the finishing touch to increasingly frantic approach work, with the visitors' goal leading a charmed life.

Jonathan Woodgate went closest to scoring, but his low, ten-yard shot was superbly hacked clear by Robert Popov. Beckham's free-kick was saved by Milosevski, who was fortunate that Smith's fierce volley was straight at him.

But there was to be no winning goal, and the sending off of Smith for a challenge born of frustration was an unpleasant footnote to a terrible night