As I walked away from Millennium Stadium, my only feeling was "at least it's a win" - a now familiar feeling after watching Cardiff City win in unconvincing but untroubled style as well. 2-0 it was with young guns David Edwards putting the Red Dragon ahead just before half-time and Ched Evans sealing it very late on with a fortuitous deflected header (but I've a feeling that'll eventually been awarded as an own goal).
In between, a few missed chances, a couple of saves and Wales missing their third penalty in successive World Cup qualifiers but a performance that was patchy throughout. Hopefully, they're saving themselves for the hugely demanding trip to Germany in midweek - they'll need to play infinitely better just to have a chance in that one.
I'm sure we'll hear another cliche rolled out over the next couple of days too - you know the one, "there are no easy games in international football". But oh yes there are and Lichtenstein are one of them.
The European tax haven (wonder how much they've been credit crunched?) whose leading player is with Darlington (yes Darlington) opened their World Cup campaign with a 0-6 home thrashing by those Germans. Their end of season games before the summer saw them beaten 7-1 by Malta and 3-0 by The Swiss although they held Azerbaijan 0-0 away in the last World Cup qualifier.
My stepson, after winning a summer junior football tournament with McDonald's who are one of Wales sponsors, got to escort one of the sides onto the pitch with his team - it happened to be Liechtenstein. However it meant I was in the ground three hours before it's 5:30pm kick-off and 2 hours before the gates opened for the lost 12,500 crowd in this arena. Had an interesting behind the scenes tour though but it meant I was still sitting around the ground for over 2 hours before it started but at least I got to meet and chat with Bryn Terfel who magnificently sang the Welsh national anthem and enjoy the incredible weather. Mid-October and 70 degrees, lovely. Also sneaked out for half hour to get a pint - a far better alternative to MillStad's range of food and drink prices with no alcohol anywhere).
The game in not one to live in the memory and I've forgotten most of it anyway, it was that dull. Liechtenstein had first shot but Wales, through captain Craig Bellamy returning for his first national game in a year following more injuries, came closest in 3 minutes, his effort being turned onto the bart by the visiting keeper. Any thoughts this lively start would make for entertainment soon evaporated as the first period was tedium, Wales having all the possession but unable to create at all - I told you it was like Cardiff City!
There were a couple of range shots but none worthy of particular mention while Liechenstein did venture forward and briefly threaten a couple of times. Most animated was Welsh boss John Toshack doing his nut with aspects of the play an it seemed to be heading for a shock 0-0 half time scoreline until 3 minutes before the interval, Gunter got Digger Davies behind the defence, he cut back and DAVID EDWARDS turned home off the near post. Hoorah!
A minute later Craig Bellamy should have doubled the lead but he fired straight at the keeper but worse came when he had a penalty on half-time and hit that weakly and straight too.
Had Wales been 2 or 3 ahead at the interval, as they should have been, then the visitors would surely have crumbled but 1-0 always gave them something to keep fighting for but although they never was on the receiving end of one way trafiic to their goal and never looked look levelling, they weren't caving either. Wales brought on Ched Evans for Vokes and he was lively, Simon Davies dazzled but few others shone. Again Wales were restricted to long range efforts mainly, a definite penalty was waved aside (the ref not wanting to give us 2 in a game I'm sure) and Bellamy (who doesn't look fully fit yet) made the keeper produce a fine save but they was all they showed until a corner on 83, CHED EVANS headed down and it caught Frick sending the ball in the opposite direction past the helpless keeper.
Ah well, at least it was a win.
*The 2nd goal was announced to Ched Evans but subsequently confirmed as a Frick o.g.
In between, a few missed chances, a couple of saves and Wales missing their third penalty in successive World Cup qualifiers but a performance that was patchy throughout. Hopefully, they're saving themselves for the hugely demanding trip to Germany in midweek - they'll need to play infinitely better just to have a chance in that one.
I'm sure we'll hear another cliche rolled out over the next couple of days too - you know the one, "there are no easy games in international football". But oh yes there are and Lichtenstein are one of them.
The European tax haven (wonder how much they've been credit crunched?) whose leading player is with Darlington (yes Darlington) opened their World Cup campaign with a 0-6 home thrashing by those Germans. Their end of season games before the summer saw them beaten 7-1 by Malta and 3-0 by The Swiss although they held Azerbaijan 0-0 away in the last World Cup qualifier.
My stepson, after winning a summer junior football tournament with McDonald's who are one of Wales sponsors, got to escort one of the sides onto the pitch with his team - it happened to be Liechtenstein. However it meant I was in the ground three hours before it's 5:30pm kick-off and 2 hours before the gates opened for the lost 12,500 crowd in this arena. Had an interesting behind the scenes tour though but it meant I was still sitting around the ground for over 2 hours before it started but at least I got to meet and chat with Bryn Terfel who magnificently sang the Welsh national anthem and enjoy the incredible weather. Mid-October and 70 degrees, lovely. Also sneaked out for half hour to get a pint - a far better alternative to MillStad's range of food and drink prices with no alcohol anywhere).
The game in not one to live in the memory and I've forgotten most of it anyway, it was that dull. Liechtenstein had first shot but Wales, through captain Craig Bellamy returning for his first national game in a year following more injuries, came closest in 3 minutes, his effort being turned onto the bart by the visiting keeper. Any thoughts this lively start would make for entertainment soon evaporated as the first period was tedium, Wales having all the possession but unable to create at all - I told you it was like Cardiff City!
There were a couple of range shots but none worthy of particular mention while Liechenstein did venture forward and briefly threaten a couple of times. Most animated was Welsh boss John Toshack doing his nut with aspects of the play an it seemed to be heading for a shock 0-0 half time scoreline until 3 minutes before the interval, Gunter got Digger Davies behind the defence, he cut back and DAVID EDWARDS turned home off the near post. Hoorah!
A minute later Craig Bellamy should have doubled the lead but he fired straight at the keeper but worse came when he had a penalty on half-time and hit that weakly and straight too.
Had Wales been 2 or 3 ahead at the interval, as they should have been, then the visitors would surely have crumbled but 1-0 always gave them something to keep fighting for but although they never was on the receiving end of one way trafiic to their goal and never looked look levelling, they weren't caving either. Wales brought on Ched Evans for Vokes and he was lively, Simon Davies dazzled but few others shone. Again Wales were restricted to long range efforts mainly, a definite penalty was waved aside (the ref not wanting to give us 2 in a game I'm sure) and Bellamy (who doesn't look fully fit yet) made the keeper produce a fine save but they was all they showed until a corner on 83, CHED EVANS headed down and it caught Frick sending the ball in the opposite direction past the helpless keeper.
Ah well, at least it was a win.
*The 2nd goal was announced to Ched Evans but subsequently confirmed as a Frick o.g.
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