Toshack pays tribute to ‘unbelievable’ Bellamy

A CRAIG BELLAMY-INSPIRED Wales stormed to victory in their Euro 2008 qualifying group D match in Slovakia – scoring five goals in an away match for the first time in 11 years.

Bellamy’s pace destroyed a pedestrian Slovakia defence and helped erase the memory of a 5-1 mauling handed out by the Slovaks in Cardiff.

It also boosted morale following the depressing home defeat by group leaders Germany at the weekend.

John Toshack’s side found their heart and confidence to produce a result which will be long remembered.

They were behind early on to a Marek Mintal strike, but stormed back with three goals in 20 first half minutes – two from Bellamy after Freddy Eastwood had equalised.

Mintal pulled a goal back, but Bellamy’s brilliant running tore the heart out of the Slovakian defence, and a Jan Durica own goal and a last-gasp goal from Simon Davies produced the sweetest of results.

Wales boss John Toshack hailed Bellamy’s match-winning display.

Toshack said: “You normally have 22 players battling away out there. This game saw 21 players, and one who was just unbelievable, it was a scintillating performance.

“I cannot recall the last time I saw such an individual performance from a player that had so much influence on the outcome of the result.

“Craig gave us that result. His pace and willingness to run was stunning. The goals were very special and came after the team had gone behind early on.

“But that was an equally outstanding team performance. Overall I was very pleased with the outcome.

“Coming after a very disappointing display and defeat by Germany on Saturday, in which we had plenty of problems against a very good side, that was the perfect response.

“We do not often score five goals away from home, very few away teams in international football do.

“But we remember how we felt after losing to Slovakia 5-1 in Cardiff.

“We felt we played pretty well that day but the harder we tried, the worse it got. It was an accident, we felt.”

But Toshack added: “We played the same system this time as we did in Cardiff against them, but this time the chances went in and in Craig we had the outstanding performance of the night.

“I suppose people will look at this result as a surprise, but then so was the 5-1 defeat we suffered at Slovakia’s hands.

“But this was all about Bellamy and his attributes. He has blinding pace and he used it, although I did feel he got a little tired in the last two minutes when they had thrown in the towel.”

Toshack said: “Craig had a few problems ahead of the Germany game, and he couldn’t play.

“But he is our captain, our inspiration – even if no-one really expected a performance like that. He was terrific.”

It was Wales’ biggest competitive away victory since 1996 when they won 5-0 in San Marino.

SLOVAKIA: Senecky, Gresko, Klimpl, Durica, Cech, Hamsik, Petras, Sapara, Mintal, Sestak, Holosko.

WALES: Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, Morgan, James Collins, Bale, Davies, Robinson, Ledley, Bellamy, Eastwood. Subs: Coyne, Fletcher, Vaughan, Crofts, Evans, Edwards, Earnshaw.

Referee: Laurent Duhamel (France).