By David Martin, PA Sport, Munich

Sonia O'Sullivan, runner-up behind Paula Radcliffe in the European Championships 10,000 metres race earlier in the week, had to settle for another silver medal over 5,000m in Munich's Olympic Stadium.

On this occasion, the Irishwoman was one of the main players instead of languishing a distant second when her British rival produced one of their most sensational performances ever witnessed.

Today's finish, over half the distance, was by inches rather than the lengthy 300m on Tuesday.

But the verdict went to Marta Dominguez, who pipped the defending champion on the line in a thrilling race for the tape.

Until the last few strides everything had gone positively for O'Sullivan. After sitting comfortably in the pack throughout the seven-and-a-half-laps, from a bad position she broke for the line from 150m.

It seemed the double gold medallist from four years ago was at least going to take another one home.

But the tiny figure of Dominguez pipped her on the line when she must have felt home and dry.

The Spaniard, winner of the European Indoor title in March, crossed the line in 15minutes 14.76seconds with O'Sullivan posting a season's best of 15:14.85, holding off Russia's Yelena Zadorozhnaya who clocked 15:15.22.

O'Sullivan, 32, felt it was a race she should have won and with her experience admitted one that should never have slipped out of her grasp by making her assault for the line early.

The Olympic silver medallist at the distance said: "I want to do it again. I worked hard to win but I was very nervous during the race and that put a doubt in my mind.

"With 200m left I was boxed in. I was trying to get in the right place but I couldn't.

"Maybe if the pace had been a little quicker it would have been a different contest.

"This was the type of race I expected, a tactial one with a late surge. I missed the victory by a few steps; that's track and field - and life."

British entrants Jo Pavey and Hayley Yelling finished fifth and 18th in times of 15:18.70 and 16:26.41.

O'Sullivan's team-mate Una English was 15th, clocking 16:19.36, while Maria McCambridge was four places behind her in 17:00.15.