Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DRAGONS’ HIGH FIVE!
Page’s side cruise it as Bale joins 100 club
GARETH BALE celebrated a special night in Cardiff – and so did the Red Dragons.
The Real Madrid ace picked up his 100th cap and his team-mates gave him a night to remember by keeping up the pressure in Group E.
Two goals from Aaron Ramsey and one each for Neco Williams, Ben Davies and Connor Roberts gave Rob Page’s side vital breathing space and Bale weighed in with an assist too.
The 32-year-old might have reached a personal milestone, but he has always been a team player.
And these three points could have a significant effect on Wales’ chances of competing in Qatar next year.
The Dragons qualified for a World Cup play-off spot this week as one of the best-placed finishers in their Nations League group.
But that only guarantees them an away fixture in the semi-final next March.
And if they want to improve their chances by playing in the Principality, they have to finish second.
With one game to play – on Tuesday against Group E leaders Belgium – a victory was a must if they were to keep second-placed Czech Republic within range.
With Bale fit to play for the first time in two months, following a hamstring tear, they were given a huge pre-match boost.
The former Spurs man had not played any competitive football since suffering the damage against Estonia, but he found himself lining up in an attacking formation alongside Harry Wilson.
In the end, Bale only managed to play for the opening 45 minutes, but it was enough as Page’s side raced into an early two-goal lead.
The hosts flew out of the blocks. They forced the first corner inside the opening minute – and scored from their second inside the next 60 seconds.
The initial effort had been cleared to the other flank, the ball retrieved by Joe Allen and hoisted, first-time, back into the area. It was nodded clear as far as Davies whose trusty left-foot thumped it goalwards.
Keeper Sergei Chernik was unable to take the shot cleanly and Ramsey was on it in a flash, expertly sniffing out the chance before it happened.
He timed his run to perfection and had the easiest of jobs to side-foot home.
Belarus’s defence started off on the wrong foot and they failed to regain their composure all evening as Wales repeatedly tested them.
By the halfway stage, they had clocked up 10 attempts on Chernik’s goal and it was little surprise when the lead was doubled.
Allen broke up play in midfield and fed the ball to Bale whose pass to the left saw Williams advance into the box.
The Liverpool man was shadowed by right-back Nikolai Zolotov, but shifted the ball on to his right foot as a gaggle of white shirts converged on him. He fired off a shot that was not the most ferocious the 20-year-old has ever struck, even at such an early age in his career.
But Chernik could not keep it within his grasp, the ball rolling over the line within inches of his post.
With such an advantage, there was little incentive to chase the game, but such was the gap between the sides that the visitors could not prevent Wales pouring forward.
However, there was a slight scare when Bale did not reappear for the second period, being replaced by Brennan Johnson.
He had only been on the pitch a few minutes when Ruslan Yudenkov, clearly unsettled by the young forward’s pace, failed to judge a bouncing ball properly. It caught him on the arm and referee Maurizio Mariani pointed to the spot, from where Ramsey rolled home the third.
Belarus were tiring and a routine right-wing corner brought the fourth, Davies getting on the end of a cross that entered the net off his shoulder.
That appeared to be that, but there was still time for late sub Artem Kontsevoy to grab the goal of the game, cutting inside before unleashing a right-foot shot that Wales keeper Danny Ward could only watch go past him.
But Wales were not finished. Connor Roberts had time to add the fifth, just getting a touch from a right-wing free-kick.