Young Strike Seals England Win

Where England had looked ruthless on Friday they looked every bit as insipid on Friday.

Thanks to Ashley Young's solitary first half goal at Wembley the Premier League stars could return to their clubs with a further three points . They deserved just the one.

Fabio Capello's men played out the ninety minutes with an air of complacency, knowing that they were good enough to get the goal to put them one up, all the while failing to contemplate that Wales may produce an attack of any note. It was a superiority complex that seemed not of their own making but that of their manager, though at no point did the eleven men on the field decide amongst themselves to turn the dial up a notch in an attempt justify the 113 world ranking places that separate the Lions from the Dragons.

From the first whistle, then, England came out and looked to monopolise possession, pinging the ball comfortably around their own half. It could have been an attempt to set the tempo of the game, stamp an authority upon the Welsh and get into their heads. What looked like tactics for the first five minutes swiftly became wishful thoughts after ten, the home side not stroking the ball around of their own choice but because of the pressure zone that was the middle of the park, Wales packing five men into their midfield and denying England any space in the central third.

Any joy that was to come England's way was as a result of the front three of Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing. The two widemen in particular were the biggest threats that the home side could conjure up as they twisted and turned, passed and crossed to the beat of a drum, their compatriots more musically on par with the England band on the Wembley terraces. They were blowing.

It was quite apt that the two ex-Villains would combine to open the scoring and notable, too, was the fact that the first time England managed to sew two attacks together they produced a goal. After James Milner's cross was cleared away Gareth Barry immediately sprayed the ball back out to the right flank, Downing able to steal a yard of space off Joe Ledley, his low, driven cross beaten between Wayne Hennessey's left hand and the near post by Young.

With that came hope that the lead could be doubled sooner rather than later as England were suddenly invigorated by the breakthrough, their opponents looking bewildered, there was to be no further test for Hennessey, though, and with the half time whistle came a much needed moment of respite for Wales, a moment that Gary Speed used impeccably.

Three England shots came and went in the first minute of the second half and a wasteful Frank Lampard effort aside there was to be no more football of note from the home side. Wales had spent the majority of the match coping comfortably with all that a half-hearted England had to throw at them and now felt that there was never a better time to fight back. Gareth Bale grew increasingly into the game and, one wayward effort aside, was the key figure for the final thirty minutes, though that mantle could, should, have been taken from the roving Tottenham winger.

With a quarter of an hour left on the clock a free kick from the left was floated onto the far edge of Hart's six yard box. Cardiff Full back Darcy Blake got the better of his marker to cushion the ball back across goal for Robert Earnshaw who connected not with the sweet spot of his left boot but the edge, his shot ballooning over the England goal along with any hope the Welsh had of claiming a point.

The result was greeted with less ecstasy than relief amongst those in the stands, the Welsh left to feel slightly aggrieved at not returning across the Severn Bridge with something to show.

A Podgorica point is all that England require from their final qualifier against Montenegro to secure a spot at the Polish/Ukrainian finals next year, not that a display of such meekness will strike fear into Europe's elite come June.

England are fourth in the world, Wales 117th, it is difficult to see whether this result makes a more of a mockery of Capello's team or the FIFA world rankings, though the answer is most likely both.

Young Strike Saves Unspectacular England

A meagre second half performance from England saw the Lions limp towards qualification for the 2012 European Championships as they took the points against a battling Wales at Wembley.

One goal was enough for the win, Ashley Young the man to sweep home a Stewart Downing cross late in the opening period, it was the second, though, that will have England fans worried as Wales began to even the game out and they would have had a point to take back acrpss the Severn Bridge had Robert Earnshaw not spooned Darcy Blake's cut back over the bar just five yards from an open goal.

There were two changes from Fabio Capello's Bulgarian teamsheet. Friday's notable admission, Frank Lampard, was restored to the the starting XI in place of Scott Parker, the Tottenham man dropping to the bench for fear of receiving the yellow card that would rule him out of England's final group game. Theo Walcott was the other man to lose his place, a hamstring injury putting paid to his night out, James Milner was his replacement in what would become a three man midfield.

The enforced abscense of star hitman Craig Bellamy weakened the Welsh frontline, Steve Morison the lonely figure at the top of Gary Speed's 4-5-1 formation, while fellow suspendee David Vaughan also missed out, though the returns of Jack Collison and Andrew Crofts to Wales' midfield helped to reinforce the Dragons' quest to frustrate the England attack.

England started patiently, monopolising the first five minutes' possession yet unable to break through the steadfast Wales. It wasn't until the seventh minute that fans had an effort to gasp at, John Terry out-muscling Ashley Williams, only to steer his header wide of Wayne Hennessey's goal.

The Welsh 'keeper's hands were rarely involved in the opening exchanges, though his feet were busy with a spree of backpasses, a punch off the head of John Terry was the first notable piece of glovework the Wolves custodian had to execute.

Whichever wing England attacked down their widemen, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, looked continually threatening against the opposing full backs and it was the quick feet of the latter who carved out a cross from the left, narrowly evading the head of Wayne Rooney, floating through instead for Downing to acrobatically blaze over the crossbar.

As England produced two consecutive waves of attack came the opening goal of the evening. James Milner twisted himself away from his marker on the right flank, his original cross hacked away as far as Gareth Barry who fed the ball forward immediately, again out to the right, this time for Downing, the Liverpool man working a yard of space on the outside of his defender before scything in a cross that was met with a drilled near-post finish from Young.

England were invigorated and Rooney came inches from doubling the England advantage, Young the instigator once again, this time working a short corner and flashing a cross across the face of goal.

Within the first minute of the second half England had managed a further three attempts on Hennessey's woodwork, intricate passing allowing Young to test the Welsh number one before Downing saw his shot blocked. Gareth Barry swiped wildly at the third attempt to give the Welsh a moment of respite.

Having produced nothing of note for the best part of 55 minutes Wales suddenly had England scampering. Aaron Ramsey was played into the England box only to find his progress halted by a nerveless challenge from Gareth Barry.

The visitors continued to attack and with a quarter of an hour to go missed their golden opportunity. A free kick was whipped onto the far edge of Joe Hart's six yard box, Darcy Blake knocking the ball back across goal to leave Robert Earnshaw, scorer of over 200 career goals, with what should have been the simplest of tasks. The substitute's connection, however, was anything but sweet as he sent his shot off target with the goal at his mercy.

Suddenly the Welsh had some wind in their sails, Joe Ledley pinging a ball across the box which Chris Gunter collected, slamming his effort against the strong right hand of Joe Hart, not that it would have counted anyway, the full back punished for shoving Ashley Cole to the floor as he controlled the ball on his chest.

That move summed up Wales performance, coming so close and fighting so hard, yet fatally flawed when push came to shove in the final third.

Hope Is Not Enough

27 Years, that's how long it has been since the national football team of Wales claimed victory over their senior counterparts from England and, in all honesty, they should not be changing that fact when the the two sides meet for the second Anglo-Welsh clash this year.

It took just fourteen minutes in March for England to wrap up victory at the Millennium Stadium, Frank Lampard converting a penalty and Darren Bent slotting home from close range.

The past twelve months have been a torrid time for Welsh football, John Toshack stepped down as manager of the side following a qualifying defeat to Montenegro a year ago, leaving the FAW board with the task of finding and appointing a successor capable of turning the tide of a sinking ship.

Since ending 2007 in a vaguely respectable 57th place on the FIFA rankings there has been an irreversible slide that has seen the Welsh drop, almost stonelike in fashion, down to 117th, below the likes of the Central African Republic, Antigua and the Faroe Islands. In the latest table they remain just two points ahead of Grenada.

Following Toshack's departure Brian Flynn, coach of the under-21 side, was handed the reins in a temporary spell as a test of his calibre, he didn't get the job, the task eventually falling into the lap of Gary Speed, inexperienced at club management, let alone international.

The barren spell was not arrested by fresh blood, the Welsh lost to Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup before one of the biggest games the country had seen for nigh on five years, England were coming to town. We all know how that one finished and Speed would have to wait another two games before claiming his first win, beating a woefully understrength Northern Irish line-up in a scarcely populated Aviva Stadium, Dublin, just 529 people turning up for the game, less than 200 of those were actually supporters of either country.

And then, salvation. Cardiff City Stadium, now one of the national team venues that are used in rotation, played host, not least because of the paltry crowds that turned the Millennium Stadium from a cauldron into a cave. Montenegro, daring to challenge England atop qualifying group G, were the visitors and Wales gave them one hell of a ride. Where the spirit and vigour for such a performance came from we can't be quite sure but wherever it was it couldn't have come soon enough for supporters. Steve Morison opened his international account before captain Aaron Ramsey doubled the advantage, not even a Stevan Jovetic consolation could take the shine off Speed's first competitive win.

A modicum of pride has been restored to Wales, though it should prove to be no more than a cruel build up of hope once the trip to Wembley is done and dusted.

The history doesn't stack up well for Tuesday's Wembley visitors either, just once in five trips to England have Wales come up trumps, that was in 1977, while the last time any venue saw a victory for the Dragons was 1984. History, form and the squads, on paper at least, do not seem to favour Wales, neither do the bookies. England are 1/7 to win, their opponents are way out at 20, does any more really need to be said?

The star of the show, Craig Bellamy, picked up a yellow in Friday's win, thus ruling him out of this one. No rest for the wicked.

"Hopefully we'll nick a result over there." Was the resoundingly uneasy comment to come from Gareth Bale pre-match. Hope springs eternal, it does for Welsh football at least, but to dispose of England, regardless of their form at Wembley, a little more than hope is required. Wales will have to play at their best, England, not so much so.

Will it be the formality that Britain, nay, the entire footballing world expects? I wouldn't want to be seen as writing them off completely, but...