England crashed out of Euro 2000 on a night of heartbreak for Kevin Keegan in Charleroi.

Romania beat Keegan's outclassed team 3-2 after a disastrous 89th-minute penalty.

Defender Phil Neville recklessly brought down Viorel Moldovan in the penalty area and Ioan Ganea sent goalkeeper Nigel Martyn the wrong way with the spot-kick.

That sent England out of the championships and back home.

A penalty from Alan Shearer, playing his last international, and a second from Michael Owen looked like sending England into a quarter-final clash with Italy.

In the end it was not to be after a nervous and totally unconvincing performance by England.

But Keegan said: ''Of course I am devastated. We did not play well enough but with five minutes to go I thought we could hang on to something. But it was not to be.

''I've told lads the reasons we are on our way home.

''We got into a position of being 2-1 up but we never played as well as we can. We have to ask if we can pass it better and control a game.

''The answer in this tournament is sadly no.

''There was plenty of determination. If it was about endeavour and honesty we would have won the tournament.

''But you don't win it with honesty alone. We have spent three matches chasing a football. When we got it we gave it away.

''You get like a boxer taking so many punches. We were shipping so much water and never trusted each other enough with the ball.''

Keegan added: ''We have World Cup qualifiers now and because of Alan Shearer retiring there will be changes. We have to look at the next mountain we have to climb.

''We have to believe in our ability to pass the ball. If you asked players who play in the Premiership to do certain jobs you expect them to do it.

''Now we have to go away and lick our wounds.''

Former England defender Stuart Pearce believes the lack of a good passing technique has been a long-standing problem within the international side.

''Certainly in my time at international football, that could be levelled at us all the time, the fact that we don't keep the ball and don't pass the ball very well,'' he said.

''I don't think we can come away and say we played well. We played in fits and starts but over the whole 90 minutes we haven't passed it well.

''But it's very disappointing when you are two or three minutes away from qualifying for the quarter-finals.''

Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson has been installed as 9/2 favourite to succeed Keegan as England's next permanent manager by William Hill following England's exit. John Gregory is 6/1 second favourite to take over with Sunderland's Peter Reid next best at 8/1. Alan Shearer is 33/1.

l A hat-trick by Sergio Conceicao sent Germany crashing out of the tournament.

The European champions finally lost their fragile grip on the trophy they won at Wembley four years ago to a second-string Portuguese team in Rotterdam.

Lazio midfielder Conceicao was the man who put Erich Ribbeck's men to the sword with a close-range header before the break and two second-half strikes.

The body-blow to German hopes was a glaring error from the normally reliable goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who allowed Conceicao's drive to slip under his body and into the net.

The mistake put Portugal two goals up and they threatened to over-run Germany, who rarely threatened stand-in keeper Pedro Espinha.

Conceicao went on to complete his treble with the finest goal of the night and humble Germany, three times European champions and twice runners-up.

Portugal, who guaranteed top spot in Group A with a last-minute winner against Romania on Saturday, sent out a host of reserves in the Feyenoord Stadium.

Only Fernando Couto and Jorge Costa survived from Arnhem. Luis Figo, carrying a yellow card, Manuel Rui Costa and others were given an evening on the bench.

Germany went behind when Pauleta, who had been Portugal's liveliest player in the first-half hour, collected a pass from Rui Jorge and drove to the byline in the inside-left channel.

He produced a low cross but it deflected off Marko Rehmer's lunging challenge and looped over Kahn to Conceicao at the far post.

The diminutive midfielder nodded the ball over the line as he was bundled into the net by Kahn's bid to keep the ball out.

The second-half was less than nine minutes old when he effectively ended Germany's slim chances of progress with an uncharacteristic clanger.

Conceicao darted inside from the right, jinking past two tackles to reach the edge of the box.

He unfurled a drive, crisp but straight at Kahn, and wheeled away in delight as the Bayern Munich keeper allowed the ball to slither past him and into the net.

Conceicao completed his hat-trick with a right-foot shot in the 71st minute.