Sisters Angela and Christine hugged, danced and shed a tear or two at the final whistle as England squeezed past the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“That was brilliant,” said Christine, a 51-year-old lifeguard. “Watching England is exhausting, emotional, often heart-breaking but we love it. You’ve got to relish the ups and downs.”

Angela, 53, who used to coach a girls’ team, said it was “sort of fun”. “I knew Harry Kane would come good in the end,” she said. “Wonderful.”

Her daughter, Jodie, 29, wearing a Wayne Rooney shirt, said a treasured family memory was her standing on a pub bench when she was a toddler yelling” Shearer! Shearer!” “Football is just great. We love nights like this,” she said.

The trio were among the hundreds who watched England in the first round of the knockout stages of the world cup on big screens at the Prospect Building in Bristol, said to be a former torpedo testing site, now a cavernous event space behind Temple Meads station.

Shanika, 21, a flight attendant, said she thought England could go to the final. “It’s us v France,” I reckon, she said. But she admitted she had been impressed by England’s opponents. “My heart dropped when the DRC scored,” she said. “But when Kane got the winner, it was just: ‘Oh my god!’”

Her friend, Gracie, 20, also an airline worker, said she wished England had brought along other creative players such as Cole Palmer and Phil Foden. “But we’ve had a great night. There’s always something with England – it’s never easy.”

Dave Wooldridge, the event host, said the World Cup excitement had grown in Bristol with the start of the knock-out stage. There are a growing number of England flags on pubs, houses and cars and there was certainly an early rush hour as people rushed from work to catch the game.

Wooldridge said his main job was to lead the cheer-leading for England but also to be respectful towards the DRC, whose country is coping with war and ebola.

“Yes, it’s about England and I don’t want to sound corny but it’s also about the world, different cultures coming together. The DRC team is a beacon of hope for the country.”

England’s bright start was greeted with excitement – the seventh minute DR Congo goal was met with a shocked silence. There were howls of frustration followed when England gave away a string of fouls and were guilty of a series of sloppy passes.

The first half hydration break for the players prompted many of the Prospect Building fans to slip out in search of a stronger drink. Some lingered in the sunshine outside when the game re-started.

“We’ve got better players than them,” said Stan, a 50-year-old builder who said he had given himself the day off to focus on the match. “But they’ve got the spirit, the heart.”

The England shirts being worn by fans at the Prospect Building reflected decades of joy and despair. Some wore replicas of the 1966 shirt England won the world cup in but there were also quite a few examples of the greyish kit Gareth Southgate was in when he missed his penalty at Euro 96.

There seemed to be more vintage names on the backs of the shirt – Gary Lineker, David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Paul Scholes – than current players.

Halfway through the second half, shoulders had slumped. A mum put a comforting arm around her young son in an England bucket hat. He still believed: “Kane will get us some goals in the end.” And the England striker duly delivered.

The England captain’s goals were greeted with joy and relief and led raucous renditions of “Don’t Take Me Home”, a song that became synonymous with Welsh fans at Euro 2016.

Fans poured out of the Prospect Building full of beer, joy and hope. Peter, 34, a taxi driver, said he’d be back to watch England’s next game against Mexico. “I reckon we could get a result there. And then we’ll see.”