THE OLD Trafford book makers were offering generous odds on a scoreless draw yesterday. The queue for a slice of that action was short. With a European championship final waiting we expected some swashbuckling some genius and some goals. We, got a penalty shoot out.

So it was that the Czech Republic, the great outsiders at this tournament crept into the finals of the European championship.

Sudden death in the end was unavoidable, the regulation five penalties per team having been executed with textbook precision, Reynald Pedros of France saw his weak shot saved by Kouba's feet.

Miroslav Kadlec a centre half cast in the Dave O'Leary role stepped up and popped the ball home.

Such drama was more than a staid game deserved. Through regulation time and extra timed both sides showed only flashes of what they are capable of. The Czech's will be rank outsiders, when they roll into Wembley on, Sunday.

As for France? Early exchanges yesterday confirmed the growing impression that while proficient and occasionally engaging, they aren't as breathtakingly creative as their 1984 predecessors.

Djorkaeff played much wider the left than has been his wont in this tournament, to little effect early on. Zidane having survived a challenge for his place from Reynald Pedros never sparkled.

Suspensions and injuries foisted the most disruption on the Czech's, eroding still further the notion that their progress to the penultimate stage of the tournament has been a charmed one. Latal, Schoparek, Kuka and Bejbl all fell victim to the yellow card plague while Patrik Berger the attacking midfielder failed a fitness test forcing coach Dusan Uhrin to look elsewhere for attacking options.

In the event he gambled mildly, playing two strikers Smicer and Drulak (the former withdrawn to midfield) and relying on the defensive capabilities of his tight marking defence to keep the debit account in order.

So it transpired Hornak and Rada shackled while the impressive Kadlec swept. Zinedine Zidane was forced to play deeper looking for the ammunition with which to feed Djorkaeff and Loko. For the Czech's Smicer joined the digging in a congested midfield leaving Drulak to do the running up front. It all made for a surprisingly sterile game lacking rhythm and cohesion.

The Czech's, technically accomplished tacklers read most of what passed for planning from the French and conjured up the odd moment of creativity them selves, a low driven cross from the restored Nedved drawing gasps from the crowd before the imperious Blanc cut out the danger with an elegant interception.

Late on in the first half the French, getting a little desperate, threw the ball about with a bit more abandon. Desailly, freed in Deschamp's absence to a more creative midfield role drove a low shot wide to Kouba's goal. Zidane and Loko ran at the wall of redo shirts to little effect. Finally Roche was reduced to blasting a 40 yard shot high over the bar.

After the break the Czech's replaced Smicer (victim of an ugly clash of heads with Turam) with Berger, the sub showing no effects from his alleged injury, tucked into midfield with Poborsky (linked with Liverpool since his wondrous goal against the Portuguese) playing, a slightly more attacking role.

This tentativeness served the Czech's poorly. France having conceded just 18 goals in a 27 game unbeaten run were unlikely to fall for a sucker punch. Yet Berger's instinct for an opening added a threat for the Czechs and on 53 minutes Drulak picked up a loose ball wide on the left and drove it into Lama's chest for his sides first shot on target.

France were a little more interested by this stage too having had a transfusion of panache at the break. Zidane drove a fine shot just over the bar from Djorkaeff's corner. French pressure continued with an astonishing sixty first shot by Djorkaeff crashing off the crossbar. Two minutes later Zidane foraged down the right put a chest high cross into the box and Djorkaeff (on his way to Inter Milan) volleyed a side footed shot just wide.

Pedros was introduced to give the French a little more pace down the left side of midfield and suddenly the game was alive with excitement. Berger jinked through the French defence and had a shot cut out by Turam. The French were suddenly teeming with ideas.

A minute later Pedros found Zidane with a sublime pass on the outside of his left foot. Zidane blasted a low drive just wide to waste the best chance of the match.

The sudden increase in tempo startled the Czechs and they spent the next quarter of an hour trying to impose their patient style on the game again. Drulak was withdrawn and replaced by Kotulek with the Czech's funnelling to midfield and bitting the French on the counter attack.

It worked. The Czechs made it to full time, finishing stronger then the french and buying themselves a ride on the roller coaster that is sudden death followed by penalty kicks.

The Golden Goal business has been a little bit of a let down at this tournament. Having survived 90 minutes teams seldom feel too, cavalier about the Russian roulette which follows.

Professional's seem to like the structural certainties of the penalty shoot out.

Yesterday was an exception. First the French and then the Czechs attacked with abandon. Djorkaeff almost fed Blanc from a familiar set piece. The impressive Berger and the buoyant Poborsky dribbled into shooting positions in the French box.

And yet it petered out. As time went on a golden goal against either side seemed too great a calamity to risk suffering, so the Czechs and the French shut up shop and settled for penalties, the third time in this tournament that the Golden Goal solution has failed.

If many aspects of the game were disappointing so too was the attendance at a two thirds full Old Trafford. The official attendance 43,877 may have reflected tickets sold but certainly didn't reflect rears on seats. For all the English tabloid sniggering at the Americans during the World Cup two years ago at least the stadiums were full and vibrant. When football came home this summer, home wasn't that interested unless home's team was playing.

. The Czech Republic's appearance in Sunday's final has won a punter at least £10,000 after placing £100 each way on the Czechs for the tournament at 2000 to 1. William Hill said the client would collect £30,000 if they beat Germany.