Nightmare ending for Hughes’ Wales reign

Wales 2 Poland 3

Wales were brave throughout, battling and running and had been the better side for much of the game and deservedly led through a Robert Earnshaw strike.

But the vulnerability of their back line saw them concede three goals in the final 19 minutes through substitute Tomasz Frankowski, Maciej Zurawski and Jacek Krynowek to turn a night at the Millennium Stadium that had looked so promising into a disaster.

Hughes’ last match as Wales manager offered him no respite from the constant problems he has had with injuries and sickness throughout his five years in charge. This time Ryan Giggs was ruled out with a stomach bug and Hughes also decided to leave out John Hartson up front.

Despite a diminutive strike force the Wales front two had the pace to worry the Poles and both Earnshaw and Bellamy had good chances during the opening half hour.

Savage was booked for challenging the same Pole who had flattened him during the half, the initial incident completely missed by French referee Alain Sars.

Poland looked far more dangerous in the second half but it was Wales who made the breakthrough on 55 minutes through Earnshaw.

A quick free-kick from Savage sent the little striker scampering into the box, away from Tomasz Hajto and on to clip an angled effort over Dudek.

Poland brought on Tomasz Frankowski for Wlodarczyk in the 55th minute but Wales almost scored again in the 61st minute when Collins clipped on Koumas’ corner and Bellamy’s header was plucked out by Dudek in a packed six-yard box.

The tension mounted, as Wales looked for the clinching second goal but Poland were always a threat with their pace on the break and in the 71st minute Frankowski took advantage of indecision between Danny Gabbidon and Collins to spin and fire low past Jones for the equaliser.

On 78 minutes, Speed was replaced by Hartson but two minutes later, disaster struck Wales when Tomasz Rzasa’s pass sent Maciej Zurawski racing away, holding off Delaney and smashing a rising shot into the roof of the net.

It got worse for Wales on 85 minutes when the ball bounced kindly for Krynowek some 20 yards out and, before any Welsh defender could move, the ball had been lashed into the bottom corner.

Wales bravely kept going forward and in stoppage time, Hartson headed home a Savage free-kick unchallenged.

WALES: Jones, Delaney, Collins, Gabbidon, Thatcher, Davies, Speed, Savage, Koumas, Bellamy, Earnshaw.

POLAND: Dudek, Rzasa, Kosowski, Baszcyznski, Kaluzny, Bak, Hajto, Krzynowek, Zurawski, Szymkowiak, Wlodarczyk.

Referee: Alain Sars (France)