Paul MacInnes’s match report from Cardiff:
FULL TIME: Wales 1-0 Austria
... the final whistle goes! Wales have revived their World Cup hopes! And in some style too! Ben Woodburn, 17, scored the winner four minutes after coming on for his debut, a few seconds after the crowd had finished belting out a glorious rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Whatever else happens in the young man’s career, whatever happens in this World Cup qualifying group, that’s a lovely little story that will never be forgotten. Wales move a couple of points behind second-placed Ireland, and it looks like Group D is going to the wire.
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90 min +3: Wales end the game on the front foot. A Bale scissor kick is parried round the post by Lindner. A low Robson-Kanu shot comes off the bottom of the right-hand post. And then...
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90 min +2: King robs Baumgartlinger on the edge of the Wales box as the visitors press. He flashes a ball upfield. Robson-Kanu and Bale are two on one! The former should feed the latter, but shoots wildly.
90 min +1: Hennessey pumps the ball to the far corner, deep in Austrian territory. The clock does its thing.
90 min: Alaba drops a shoulder to make space 25 yards from goal. He scuffs his shot, and it’s blocked wide right. Lainer hoicks into the mixer. Hennessey can’t get a hand to the cross, but he’s been fouled. Celebratory noise. There will be three added minutes. Any fingernails left?
88 min: Woodburn, then Bale, take turns to hoick dangerous balls into the Austrian box from the left. Wales aren’t throwing men forward, though, and you can understand the decision. The clock ticks on.
86 min: Bale is shouldered to the ground in the basic style by Dragovic under a high ball in the Austrian box. No penalty, which is probably the right decision, but what a risk the defender took.
85 min: Free kick for Wales out on the right. Woodburn exchanges passes with Davies, and swings a ball into the centre. Nobody gambles on it. The crowd launch into a chorus of “Super Benny Woodburn”. It didn’t take him long to make friends, did it.
83 min: It’s all got scrappy again, which is just how Wales will like it, the clock being on their side.
81 min: Austria, their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, throw on Gregoritsch and Janko in place of Sabitzer and Harnik.
79 min: Two corners later, and Wales have cleared the danger. The volume hasn’t dropped.
78 min: The stadium has toppled into party mode, that really was one of those moments. But of course there’s still a job to do here. Alaba slips the ball to Arnautovic down the left. The winger cuts inside and curls brilliantly for the top right. Williams steps in front of Hennessey and heads over for a corner.
76 min: That is astonishing. Woodburn is only the second youngest scorer in Wales’s history, mind you. No prizes.
GOAL! Wales 1-0 Austria (Woodburn 74)
Hello! Wales have another international star on their hands! They knock it around awhile. It’s launched into the box eventually. Danso and Dragovic take turns to fail to clear their lines. Woodburn, fresh on, brings the ball down, 30 yards from goal. He takes a touch, and lashes a stunning, unstoppable strike into the bottom left! Poise and purpose; Lindner had no chance! And what made that goal even more special, was the crowd’s rousing rendition of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau in the period leading up to the 17-year-old announcing himself to the big time! You couldn’t have timed any of that any better.
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71 min: Wales suddenly look a bit disorganised, in the immediate wake of the double change. Baumgartlinger nearly takes advantage, dropping deep and very nearly releasing Alaba through the centre with a marvellous floated chip. But Williams rises to clear in time.
69 min: Wales make a double change. Lawrence and Vokes are replaced by Hal Robson-Kanu and Ben Woodburn, the latter making his debut at 17.
67 min: Arnautovic sails a cute pass down the right, nearly releasing Harnik into the box. The striker can’t quite take the ball down to shoot from a tight angle. Then he’s soon racing into the area again, down the left, but this time he’s robbed by a magnificent tackle by Bale, a superstar not afraid to put in a shift. The crowd enjoyed that.
65 min: First the boos, now a few - all right, a lot - of whistles. Ramsey makes good down the right and sends a pea-roller towards the bottom left. It’s accurate, so it’s tipped round the post by Lindner. But the ref didn’t see the keeper’s fingertips, and so it’s a goal kick instead of a corner. Noise, bedlam, brouhaha. This is great fun.
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63 min: The corner comes to nothing. But the atmosphere has curdled a little, with a few players flying into challenges guaranteed to excite the crowd. Oh, and Lindner takes an age to take a free kick, while stealing a few yards too. Boo! is the general consensus within the stadium.
61 min: Arnautovic plays a cute reverse pass down the left to release Hinteregger towards the byline. Corner. Before that, a bit of treatment for Sabitzer, who was pretty crudely checked by Williams in the centre, shoulder to coupon. Williams wants to watch himself, because had the ref seen that, it could easily have been red. Sabitzer gets up, eventually, and looks pretty dazed.
59 min: Hinteregger, out on the left, fires a low ball straight through the Welsh six-yard box. It bagatelles its way through several pairs of legs. The Cardiff City Stadium breathes again.
57 min: From the corner, another corner. Ramsey loops the second one in. Davies and Williams take turns to shoot, but both efforts are blocked, and suddenly Austria are off on the break! Arnautovic should be sent clear but he’s pushed too far wide and the chance is gone. This is prime-time Saturday evening entertainment. All is not lost, just because Brucie’s gone.
56 min: Ramsey fizzes and probes, nearly releasing Lawrence down the inside-left channel. He continues to prompt, rolling the ball in front of Bale 30 yards from goal. Bale goes for the top right. Lindner tips round the post, fine football all round.
53 min: Ramsey goes on a super-scoot down the left wing. Lainer clatters him from behind and is pretty fortunate to escape a booking. A free kick, though, which Davies will take from deep. Wales line up in front of the Austria box. Williams and Danso go up for a header, but only succeed in nutting each other. Ooyah, oof. All accidental, and by the looks of it everyone’s fine too, so all good.
51 min: A free kick for Wales out on the right. Bale hooks it in. Williams heads down for Ramsey, who belts goalwards from eight yards! A real hammer! But it clanks into Baumgartlinger, and away for a corner that leads to nothing. Ramsey claims handball off the block, but the players were so close together it could never be given. That’s better from Wales, though.
49 min: Both sets of fans continuing to give it plenty; a real cup-tie atmosphere in Cardiff. We’ve been a due a lull, to be fair, and it’s come at the start of the second period.
47 min: All a bit scrappy at the start of this second half. A few nerves betrayed. This game is, of course, a must-win for Austria too, the hopes of both sides boosted by Ireland’s earlier draw in Georgia.
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And we’re off again! Wales have made a change: Jazz Richards is replaced by Andy King. The hosts get the ball rolling for the second half. “Apparently the Austrian debutant Kevin Danso lives in England and has played for Reading and MK Dons,” notes Peter Oh. “I’d love to see him sign with Wolverhampton one day, just so I can write in about ‘Danso with Wolves’.”
Half-time reading:
HALF TIME: Wales 0-0 Austria
And that’s your lot for the first half. It’s been very entertaining, with Austria the better team. But both sides have looked lively going forward, and this one really could go either way in the second half. Don’t go a-wandering!
45 min +1: Some head tennis in the Welsh box. The ball drops to Harnik, who should shoot from 12 yards, level with the right-hand post. But he opts to leave the ball to the nearby Alaba, and that allows Williams to nip in and clear.
44 min: And then a huge chance for Wales! Lindner, faced with a simple clearance upfield, rolls a daft square pass that nearly finds Vokes free on the edge of the area. Vokes isn’t on the front foot. If he had been, he’d be rolling a simple finish into the net! But the Austrian keeper - whose face flushes red with embarrassment - breathes again as the new boy Danso steps in to save the day.
42 min: Alaba, dropping deep and influencing every attack, slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Sabitzer, who is inexplicably free, in acres, in the area. He lashes a shot across Hennessey and inches wide of the left-hand post. That was a huge chance. Austria should be in the lead.
41 min: Ramsey and Bale hustle down the left and win a corner down the left, Wales’s first. Ramsey looks for Chester at the far post. It’s hit long. Too long.
39 min: A ball shifted across the face of the Welsh area from the left wing. Sabitzer controls on the edge of the D, turns, and lashes towards the bottom left. Not bad, but Hennessey is behind it all the way. “The point of this, McMahon, is to weed out all the Welsh fans who only cared for a brief period when we nearly won the Euros,” explains Matt Dony. “Periods of under-performance are necessary. Which, I think, was Strachan’s plan all along.” Does this theory give an out to Berti Vogts, George Burley and Craig Levein as well?
37 min: A long hoof up the park falls to Lawrence, 30 yards out. It’s dropping perfectly, just so, and Lawrence has no choice but to give it a good belt goalwards. It’s a decent effort, meant for the top right but always curling wide.
35 min: Free kick fore Wales out on the right. Another chance for Wales to float en masse across the front of the Austrian box. Ramsey curls it deep. Vokes is penalised for pulling, and the pressure is relieved.
33 min: And then it’s Austria’s turn to nearly open the scoring! Baumgartlinger, quarterbacking from deep, slips a pass down the left channel and Arnautovic is suddenly in space in the Welsh area! He opens his body and looks to shape one into the top right, but gets a little too much on it. High and wide. This is threatening to turn into a very entertaining game. Not quite yet ... but it’s not half bad either.
32 min: Ramsey hits the crossbar! But it wouldn’t have counted, even if it had gone in. Vokes and Danso come together 30 yards from goal. They both fall to the ground and Ramsey is allowed to scoot free! He’s one on one with Lindner, and floats his chip onto the woodwork. But Vokes had been over-eager in his challenge. Austria got the benefit there.
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30 min: Austria have piped down bit, in the wake of Prodl’s injury. Wales take the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the ball. That Bale backflick apart, it’s been a while. Baby steps, but that break in play has given them a chance of working their way back into this match.
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27 min: It seems Prodl injured himself while dragging down Vokes. Off he goes, to be replaced by 18-year-old debutant Kevin Danso.
26 min: Richards comes in from the left and slips a ball inside for Bale, who first-times a back-heel down the channel to release a slightly surprised Davies into the box. The ball squirts through to Lindner. Nearly a very pretty goal.
25 min: Austria continue to press. Alaba has a shot. Edwards blocks. The ball twangs upfield. Vokes looks to turn Prodl in the centre circle, and is clattered to the ground. The act of galootery earns Prodl the first booking of the game.
23 min: More ironic cheering as Ilsanker screws a hopeless daisycutter miles wide left from distance. “Not that I’ve anything against either of these teams, but it’s all a bit pointless isn’t it?” offers Simon McMahon. “After last night, they might as well just give the World Cup to Scotland now.”
21 min: ... Harnik takes a fresh-air swipe of his own on the edge of the box! The crowd enjoyed that. But too soon? Austria still force another corner, on the right, and Harnik isn’t a million miles away from meeting a header at the near post. The visitors are bossing this.
20 min: Austria have enjoyed 62% of possession so far. Given the slow start they made, that’s some stat. Arnautovic chases a long pass down the left. Hennessey comes out of his area to blooter clear ... and misses! Arnautovic turns the stranded keeper and looks to loop into the centre, towards the unguarded net, but Edwards saves his keeper’s bacon by rushing back to block the cross. From the corner ...
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18 min: Wales are struggling to retain possession. Austria have turned up in the midfield, it’s safe to say.
16 min: Alaba, bursting down the inside-left channel, plays a delightful long-range one-two with Arnautovic out on the touchline. He makes it into the area, but stumbles before shooting, just as it looked as though Wales were opened up. Austria recycle the ball down the same wing, Arnautovic fizzing a lethal cross in front of the six-yard box. The ball’s deflected out for a corner, which leads to nothing, but Austria are beginning to threaten here.
14 min: Austria are pushing Wales back now. Gunter tries to release some pressure by banging the ball long up the right for Vokes, but the striker can only eyebrow it on to Lindner in the away goal.
13 min: After their slow start, Austria are in this game now. Another corner on the left, Alaba firing it to the near post, where Gunter clears. On the touchline, Chris Coleman wears a slightly concerned expression. He knows Wales will be in a match tonight.
11 min: Austria break from deep, Hinteregger, Alaba and Arnautovic combining down the left. The latter reaches the byline and chips deep. Harnik can’t make a clean connection with either header or shot - there’s a bit of a scramble - and eventually the flag goes up for hand ball.
10 min: A fast start by Wales. But it’s Austria who win the first corner of the game. Alaba takes it from the left, and finds the head of Harnik, who attempts to flash one into the top right but gets it all wrong. Goal kick.
9 min: Vokes heads a long ball down for Ramsey, who dribbles right to left across the front of the Austria box and looks for the top left. It’s not far away, but just over.
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8 min: Austria launch their first proper sortie into Welsh territory. Ilsanker floats a ball down the left wing, looking for Alaba, but it’s read by Chester and the move is snuffed out.
6 min: Wales are winning everything in the middle of the park. Ramsey very nearly releases Lawrence down the inside-left channel with a clever chip, but the new man is crowded out of it. Ramsey was given a lot of time there. Not many white shirts populating the centre of the field right now.
4 min: All eyes will be on the competitive debutant Lawrence, and he’s started well by winning a free kick with a run down the left. A chance for Wales to group on the edge of the Austrian box. Ramsey stands over the ball and whips it into the box. It’s a very decent delivery, and would have found Chester or Bale near the penalty spot. But Arnautovic extends a telescopic leg to hook clear.
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2 min: Richards strides down the left and slips the ball inside for Bale, who bombs down the middle of the park before scuffing his shot from the edge of the box. It bounces wide left of the goal, harmlessly so. But you could sense the fear of the Austrians as they backtracked at speed. He was afforded far too much time and respect there. Wales won’t complain.
And we’re off! Austria get the ball rolling. And quickly push down the right, though Baumgartlinger’s ball down the flank is overhit and flies through to Hennessey. A cracking atmosphere in the Cardiff City Stadium, both sets of fans giving it plenty.
The teams are out! Wales are in their famous red shirts, Austria their equally storied white (though that grand old kit is now their second-choice garb). It’s a must-win for the Welsh, Serbia having earlier extended their lead at the top of the Group D table by beating Moldova, while Ireland drew in Georgia. We’ll be off in a minute or two ... just a couple of anthems to rattle through first.
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Chris Coleman speaks! “The formation we play suits Tom Lawrence and his attributes. He’s looked good in training, and deserves a chance. And we’ve got Gareth Bale back! We’re going to go for it, so it should be a good game. I think this campaign will go down to the wire, but we have to win tonight. We have to play with imagination.”
Gareth Bale is back, back, back from suspension, while Tom Lawrence of Derby County makes his first competitive start. They take the places of the suspended Joe Allen and Joe Ledley, starters against Serbia in June. Meanwhile Marko Arnautovic is one of four Austrian changes to the side which drew in Ireland in June, with Stefan Ilsanker, Marcel Sabitzer and Martin Harnik also named.
The teams
Wales: Hennessey, Gunter, Ashley Williams, Chester, Richards, Ramsey, Edwards, Ben Davies, Lawrence, Bale, Vokes.
Subs: Adam Davies, Ward, King, Robson-Kanu, Evans, Ampadu, Ledley, Lockyer, Collins, Jonathan Williams, Woodburn, Watkins.
Austria: Lindner, Lainer, Dragovic, Prodl, Hinteregger, Arnautovic, Baumgartlinger, Alaba, Ilsanker, Sabitzer, Harnik.
Subs: Kuster, Bachmann, Wober, Schaub, Bauer, Grillitsch, Kainz, Danso, Hierlander, Janko, Gregoritsch, Laimer.
Referee: Ovidiu Alin Hategan (Romania)
Welcome to the second half of our quick-fire Uefa Group D 2018 World Cup qualifier MBM double header ... in which Wales desperately need to “get Austria sorted out”, to borrow Chris Coleman’s phrase, in order to keep pace with Serbia and the Republic of Ireland.
Kick off is at 7.45pm at the Cardiff City Stadium. Save the date! Be there! It’s on!
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