Wales caught as Poles vault ahead towards finish

Wales 2 Poland 3

Mark Hughes’ farewell as Wales manager turned into a wake as their World Cup dreams were shattered by a remarkable Polish comeback.

Poland scored three times in the final 19 minutes to destroy a Wales performance that had seen Robert Earnshaw give them a lead that looked to have set up a win that would have handed the new manager something to build on for the future.

The two main candidates, John Toshack and Brian Flynn, were both at the match, and surely neither would have wished such a cruel end to Hughes’ reign.

He had been forced into an adventurous approach because of Ryan Giggs’ late withdrawal through illness, and for a long time it looked like a vibrant Wales would triumph.

But Poland, who had been out-paced and out-played for long spells, grabbed three late goals and an injury-time effort from John Hartson did nothing to dispel the gloom that descended on the Millennium Stadium at the end of this Group Six qualifier.

Hughes also decided to leave out John Hartson upfront and put Robert Earnshaw on from the start.

Mark Delaney moved to right back, young James Collins was included at centre half while Jason Koumas played on the left of midfield, with Robbie Savage returning to his central role following suspension.

With such a diminutive strike force, the whole Wales approach had to change and, as they got used to the pace and runs of Earnshaw and Craig Bellamy, Wales certainly gave the big, slower Poles a rough ride.

When Earnshaw was quick to chase in behind Jacek Bak on seven minutes, he was almost rewarded.

The Lens defender flicked his header back in the general direction of Jerzy Dudek but it fell well short and Earnshaw was away, only to lash his shot wide of the far post.

Then Gary Speed’s clever ball released Bellamy into space on the left and he saw his fierce low shot touched on to the outside of a post by Dudek on the half hour.

Four minutes later Dudek came to the rescue of Poland again when a corner was half cleared straight to Davies, 20 yards out, and when the shot was driven back the Liverpool ’keeper tipped the effort over the bar.

Poland brought on Tomasz Klos at the break for Bak, but Wales were at them from the start.

First Koumas laid the ball back for Bellamy to drive over from 18 yards, before Bellamy himself produced a similar run and cross but Davies was unable to get the ball under control before hooking high over the top.

But Poland were looking far more dangerous themselves now with Wlodarczyk showing pace of his own and Jacek Krynowek finding too much space. For all their good work, the fear was always there that Poland could punish Wales for wasting so much possession.

But finally Wales did make the breakthrough on 55 minutes.

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

Poland brought on Tomasz Frankowski for Wlodarczyk, and with his first touch the striker found himself in space to hook a Radoslaw Kalvzny chip over Jones’ bar.

But Wales almost scored again when Collins clipped on Koumas’ corner and Bellamy’s header was plucked down by Dudek in a packed six-yard box.

Wales were desperate to build on their lead. Savage was chasing around midfield winning back the ball, Koumas was jinking and running at defenders from the left while Bellamy continued to have his best game for Wales in some time.

However, on 71 minutes Frankowski took advantage of indecision between Danny Gabbidon and Collins to spin and fire low past Jones for the equaliser.

Seven minutes later Speed was replaced by Hartson, and the armband was given to Savage, no doubt fulfilling a lifetime’s dream of skippering his country.

But two minutes later disaster struck Wales when Tomasz Rzasa’s pass sent Maciej Zurawski racing away.

He held off Delaney and smashed 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 injury time Hartson headed home a Savage free kick unchallenged.