David Beckham chips the equaliser (MikeEgerton/Empics)

The visitors were twice in front - once after keeper David Seaman allowed a corner to drift over his head and into the net - but goals from David Beckham and Steven Gerrard won England a point.

To add to the home side's disappointment, striker Alan Smith was sent off for a second bookable offence late on.

But Eriksson said: 'We were unlucky when they scored a couple of times. Both goals they scored were lucky, and we were a bit unlucky. We scored two and had the chance to score many more.

'We didn't play badly. For long periods we played good football. Macedonia could go and win the ball with nine or ten players, and they did it well. We should have won this and deserved to, but to win it you have to score more.'

Late chances for substitute Darius Vassell and Smith went begging, and the coach added: 'I don't know how many chances we had - a lot. We should have scored more than twice. It is important to go on working.

'We can do better. There are eight games to play, and I think when we went into the qualification for the World Cup it was much worse. We shall not start to cry yet. We have to get back those points in another game.

'It's a pity to drop two points and makes it more difficult to win the group - but we can still do it.'

Skipper Beckham also insisted theere was no reason why England should not still win the group, but admitted: 'It's disappointing because it's at home and we had quite a few chances.

'We knew they were good on the counter-attack and we had to try and overcome that. They sat in and got men back behind the ball - we did get the chances, but we just couldn't put them away.'

Injured England star Rio Ferdinand said he believed Seaman would be distraught at his error - which brought back memories of Ronaldinho's winning goal for Brazil in the World Cup quarter-final.

Ferdinand explained: 'It was a mistake. He'll be saying 'I made a blunder, I cost my side points'. He will be bitterly disappointed. It is going to be a tough time for him, without doubt.'