Defiant Wales unable to stop Poland’s march to finals

Poland 1 Wales 0

Wales finished with two teenagers in Craig Davies and debutant Joe Ledley as they fought to contain the waves of Polish attacks.

A second-half penalty from Maciej Zurawski secured victory for Poland, and it was testimony to Welsh courage and toil that the scoreline was kept down.

Wales were under instant pressure with a header from new Tottenham striker Grzegorz Rasiak and then a dipping drive from Miroslaw Szymkowiak which flashed over in the opening minutes. Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski saw a 30-yard shot deflected inches wide after 13 minutes.

It was almost constant Polish pressure, apart from a couple of flurries from Robert Earnshaw and one gliding run from Ryan Giggs. Wales, playing with Carl Fletcher in front of the back five, left space which Poland looked keen to exploit.

Wales had started to weather the storm and gained more possession, and one 60-yard crossfield ball by Giggs found Earnshaw, who brought the ball down and struck it with his left foot but only straight at Artur Boruc.

Poland went close on 25 minutes when Zurawski fired in a low drive that Danny Coyne spilled before Danny Gabbidon hacked it clear.

Wales were under so much pressure that when they did break up an attack, the ball was just pumped up field with no obvious target and was soon coming straight back at an over-worked defence.

An Edwards run and cross caused problems for the Poles, and a Sam Ricketts drive won the visitors a corner, but the one-way traffic was to continue.

Wales brought on Duffy for the under-pressure Edwards at the break, but still the waves of attacks flowed towards Coyne’s goal and on 49 minutes Zurawski’s clip into the box confused everyone, but the ball slid away from danger.

Duffy had produced a perfectly fair, thunderous tackle to dispossess Kamil Kosowski, but when the Coventry man did the same thing, this time in the box and with the Pole hurling himself to the ground, referee Larsen pointed to the spot on 52 minutes. The spot-kick was soon driven past Coyne by Zurawski to give Poland the lead.

Poland replaced Rasiak with Tomasz Frankowski before Wales produced a rare break. Everton’s Simon Davies got in a cross which Ricketts headed over at the far post.

Oxford’s Craig Davies came on for his second cap on 68 minutes for Koumas, with Earnshaw moving to a wider role on the right and Giggs dropping back into a midfield three.

On 76 minutes, Miroslaw Szymkowiak was booked for tripping Giggs from behind with the Wales skipper in full flow running at the rarity of a depleted Polish back line.

Poland then took off Kosowski, sending on Arek Radomski on 78 minutes, and his first touch was a turn and shot that was fielded by Coyne.

With 10 minutes left, Cardiff’s Joe Ledley came on for his full debut in place of Earnshaw, the 18-year-old having just three Under-21 caps to his name.

Gabbidon was then booked for a trip on Szymkowiak on 83 minutes, a caution that will mean he is suspended for the next match, in Northern Ireland.

POLAND: Boruc, Jop, Rzasa, Baszczynski, Kosowski, Bak, Sobolewski, Smolarek, Zurawski, Szymkowiak, Rasiak.

WALES: Coyne, Edwards, Gabbidon, James Collins, Ricketts, Simon Davies, Koumas, Fletcher, Partridge, Giggs, Earnshaw.

Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark).