Finns snatch draw but Wales certain of play-off place

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Simon Davies gave Mark Hughes’ men an early lead but Jason Koumas was sent off and Finland used the man advantage with an equaliser 10 minutes from time from Mikael Forssell.

Wales got the dream start they needed when a long ball to John Hartson from skipper Gary Speed - winning his 76th cap, a Welsh record for an outfield player - was perfectly nodded down into the path of Davies.

Davies, who scored against Finland last season in Helsinki, was able to stride into the box and drill a low shot into the net past Antti Niemi’s right hand.

Finland’s response was a ball played into the path of Forssell on eight minutes, but the Birmingham loan signing blazed high over the bar.

The fact that Mark Pembridge had passed a late fitness test was crucial to Wales boss Mark Hughes’ planning.

He was able to push Davies into midfield and bring Cardiff’s Rhys Weston into defence for his first competitive international. But the loss of the suspended Robbie Savage from midfield was obvious. Players were not being confronted quickly enough, and Teemu Tainio was able to take his time before clipping a shot over the bar on 18 minutes.

Wakes knew they needed to at least gain a play-off spot and they seemed reluctant to move out of a defensive shell having got the vital goal.

Finland were allowed to build their play and control possession and the running and battling so essential to Wales’ midfield was lacking.

The Finns took advantage of Wales’ uncertainty and on 32 minutes they were upset with referee Arturo Dauden Ibanez when Mika Nurmela’s edge-of-the-box free-kick looked to hit Koumas on the arm in the area only for the Spanish official to wave away appeals for a penalty.

The nearest the Welsh came to extending their lead was a 36th minute Ryan Giggs free-kick that Antti Niemi palmed past the right hand post at full stretch.

Finland brought on Juha Reini at the break for Petri Pasanen and a minute into the second half Koumas was booked for a foul on Mika Vayrynen.

Finland continued to press forward and Joonas Kolkka moved into space and drove in a shot that Paul Jones saved at the second attempt.

A minute later Jones had to save with his feet when a right wing cross was allowed to curl across the box for Kolkka to hit a shot from eight yards at the Southampton keeper. Jones again blocked a Forssell drive and then smothered a Nurmela free-kick.

Janne Saarinen was then cautioned for bringing down Giggs, but the Spanish referee’s next decision was critical for Wales when he showed Koumas a second yellow card for a foul on Aki Riihilahti, followed by the red to bring Wales down to 10 men.

The tension was now unbearable, with Wales camped in their own half.

Weston looked to pull a hamstring on 73 minutes and was replaced by Andy Johnson, with Davies reverting to full-back.

But Finland kept surging forward and they equalised on 80 minutes when Kolkka’s cross was headed home by Forssell from eight yards.

WALES: Paul Jones, Weston, Melville, Page, Speed, Davies, Pembridge, Koumas, Giggs, Hartson, Earnshaw.

FINLAND: Niemi, Pasanen, Saarinen, Hyypia, Tihinen, Riihilahti, Nurmela, Tainio, Forssell, Vayrynen, Kolkka.

Referee: A Dauden Ibanez (Spain)