FULL-TIME! Wales 1-1 Georgia
And that’s it. Georgia deserved that point. Wales were excellent in the opening 15 minutes but the visitors settled and had plenty of chances to win it. That will temper Wales’ lofty ambitions. How can Ireland capitalise in their game with Moldova? Join me over here right now to find out.
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90 min +3: Georgia kill some time by bringing on Kacharava for Ananidze, who gave a fine performance.
90 min +2: Wales pour forward. Huws passes to Davies who then finds Vokes. The striker turns in the box but loses his footing and Loria collects.
90 min: A change for Georgia: Okriashvili is off, Jigauri is on. There will be three added minutes.
89 min: Kakabadze, up from right back, shoots straight at Hennessey. This is going to be a huge blow for Wales but they have been second best for quite a long while here.
88 min: A glimmer of an opportunity for Robson-Kanu. Huws feeds him in the D, the striker turns but cannot connect cleanly with his attempt and Loria makes a standard save.
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86 min: No. This time Bale’s free dips enough but it hits the side netting.
86 min: Kashia fouls Bale in a dangerous position and gets a yellow card. Can Georgia be punished even more?
84 min: Ananidze’s delivery is too deep and goes out for a throw in on the left. It will give Wales a chance to compose themselves. They have been on the ropes in the past few minutes.
83 min: Kazaishvili wins a corner for a deflected attempt from range. Williams clears it but only as far as Ananidze, who fires a cross back in. Huws hooks away before Georgia come back on the attack and Edwards fouls Okriashvili.
80 min: And now Kazaishvili has cracked a shot off the bar with Hennessey caught in no man’s land. Wales are rocking here and their fans are growing restless. Georgia look much likelier.
79 min: Georgia go close again. The nerves are creeping in for Wales. Gvilia, whose most notable contribution previous to this was getting booked for a foul on Ledley, shoots from range and it’s inches from beating Hennessey to the keeper’s left.
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76 min: The Wales fans are doing the “Viking Clap”. Some might say for that, they do not deserve to win.
75 min: Mchedlidze comes off, head bowed, to be replaced by Dvalishvili.
74 min: Emyr Huws has replaced Joe Ledley for Wales’ final substitution. Boy is this an attacking team.
73 min: What a chance for Georgia and a let off for Wales. Mchedlidze, who has been awful, is sent through by Okriashvili on a counterattack. He only has Hennessey to beat but the keeper covers the angle well and forces the striker into a limp effort.
70 min: He finds Vokes, who heads wide. Loria will take his time with the goal-kick.
69 min: Cotterill is brought on for Taylor, meaning Wales will shift to a back four for the remaining 20 minutes plus change. Bale comes across to the right to take a long throw.
67 min: Now we have a game, folks. Ananidze forces Hennessey to palm a testing shot away. Georgia are not sitting back looking to defend a point.
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66 min: Gunter crosses from the right and Vokes tries to get on to the end of it. He’s about a yard away from what would be a simple finish. Bale urges the home support to make some noise.
64 min: Wales win a free kick in Bale Territory. His effort has power and is dipping, but not quickly enough – it ripples the roof of the net. But conceding has shaken Wales into life.
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60 min: Hal Robson-Kanu is flung on, in place of King. That has lifted the Wales fans, who were getting a little worried by their team’s malaise.
59 min: Georgia are now full of confidence. Kazaishvili shoots tamely wide. A reminder: Wales have never beaten Georgia.
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GOAL! Wales 1-1 Georgia (Okriashvili)
57 min: Georgia break from that and Okriashvili heads home, creeping behind Taylor and guiding Kazaishvili’s cross past Hennessey, who gets a hand to it, from about eight yards. Game on!
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56 min: Williams finds Edwards on the left with a good ball but he is hustled enough to give possession away.
53 min: Loria gets out to stop Vokes from converting a good Taylor cross. The wing back has, Bale aside, been Wales’ best player so far.
52 min: Wales are enjoying a bit more of the ball now. They are keeping it well but it’s far from thrill a minute.
48 min: Bale dances down the left and finds an advanced Taylor. He then picks out Edwards but the midfielder shoots over.
Restarted
46 min: Georgia get us going again. This is not quite a done deal yet for Wales.
“Exactly one year from today Ireland play their final group game at Wales. After Thursday’s game I’m not feeling so hot about the Boys in Green’s chances,” write JR in Illinois. “Winning the group seems completely implausible and second place pretty iffy as well. How do you see this group shaking out?” It’s hard to predict and much can change in a year but on current form I think: Wales will win the group with Austria taking the play-off position.
Half-time: Wales 1-0 Georgia
45 min: Daushvili is booked for a late and dirty challenge on Gunter. That’s the first yellow of the game. Bale delivers from the right and it should be a corner. But the Italian referee blows his whistle for the break. Wales lead but they have not been spectacular since Bale’s 10th minute opener.
44 min: Bale’s third Delap delivery finds Vokes, but the striker heads wide. There will be one minute added time.
43 min: King, a tad selfishly considering Gunter has acres of space on his right, has a shot from range. It should be easy for Loria but he spills it and concedes an avoidable corner. From it, the keeper wins a free out. He shanks it into touch. We did flag him up as a weak link …
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41 min: The first 10 minutes of this were great but since it has become a drab, dull affair. Half time cannot come soon enough.
39 min: Bale sends in a long throw from the right. Daushvili heads it clear.
36 min: There’s Georgia’s first shot on target. Gvilia curls harmlessly into Hennessey’s welcoming hands having been fed on the D by Ananidze. Mchedlidze has gone to ground clutching his face after Ashley Williams’ elbow connected during a tussle for possession before that attack.
36 min: Wales have been good at the back and Georgia are yet to register an attempt on target but the home team are struggling to get on the ball. Coleman looks frustrated on the sideline.
35 min: Ananidze’s kick has Hennessey scrambling but the ball skims the bar and goes out for a goal-kick.
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33 min: King is penalised for a handball near the penalty arc and Georgia have a promising opportunity to make Hennessey work.
29 min: Davies does excellently when breaking up play at left back. Bale is immediately set away and he races into the area. Just as he is about to shoot, Kverkvelia makes a really good block. Ledley’s outswinging corner is headed wide by Bale from a difficult angle.
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28 min: Georgia are still passing it about in their own half and the atmosphere has become so subdued that you can hear the players talking to each other.
Meanwhile, Wales’ team photo today became a 3-8 rather than 4-7.
😏😂 @GarethBale11: We don't know what you're on about...#TogetherStronger #WALGEO pic.twitter.com/vMXTygesIl
— Wales (@FAWales) October 9, 2016
26 min: Georgia have 55% of possession but no shot on target yet. They really lack a creative edge. As Martin O’Neill said on Thursday, they are a striker short of being a good team.
24 min: Georgia spend a minute or so passing it across the back with no interest in going forward. Until Loria aimlessly hoofs forward.
21 min: Kazaishvili shoots tamely wide from 20 yards. It’s weak, off target and Hennessey has nothing to worry about.
20 min: Wales have stepped off the gas a tad in the past few minutes but they are largely comfortable.
18 min: Mchedlidze latches on to a through ball and looks to have broken clear of Chester and Williams but the linesman’s flag goes up for offside. He was on and that is a minor let off for the hosts.
17 min: Georgia have their first decent spell of possession but Joe Ledley eventually has enough, stepping in to win the ball back and find Bale down the left channel. He cannot make inroads, and Georgia clear.
14 min: Bale rampages forward and is hauled down by Daushvili’s swipe from behind. It’s in goalscoring territory. He goes low and fails to trouble Loria, who gathers under no pressure.
13 min: Georgia have not been given a moment to settle so far. Ireland allowed them to play and they put some decent passages together but Wales are refusing to allow a yard.
GOAL! Wales 1-0 Georgia (Bale)
10 min: Gunter and Vokes play a tidy give and go before the former’s cross from the right earns Wales a second corner. Ledley swings it in and Bale rises to head home. The Real Madrid attacker runs in front of Kverkvelia before leaping and converting. Wales have started excellently here and if they keep going, you would fear for Georgia.
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6 min: Bale goes close. Hennessey sends a long punt forward that Vokes knocks on to King. The Leicester midfielder sends a superb cross in from the right. Bale slides but is about yard short of connecting. Wales then win a corner that is cleared and allows Georgia to break before Okriashvili makes the mess of a backheel. “Wahey!” shout several thousand Wales fans.
5 min: Bale delivers a long throw that is easily claimed by Loria, who is quick off his line, pre-empting what was to come. The Wales fans are “de de de-ing” to Zombie Nation.
4 min: Georgia’s best player in Dublin was Tornike Okriashvili, who is very tidy in midfield. He is starting in a No10 role here but often drifts wide.
2 min: A decent, positive start from the hosts. Neil Taylor sends a teasing cross in from the left that is claimed by Loria. The Georgia goalkeeper is a tad shaky, something Gareth Bale and Sam Vokes will no doubt be aware of.
Kick-off
1 min: Wales get us going, playing from left to right as we watch it. There’s a decent atmosphere inside the Cardiff City Stadium.
The teams are out and the anthems are playing. Wales will be in all red today, because Georgia have turned up in all white. It’s a grey old day in Cardiff and the floodlights are already on.
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“Does the similarity of Georgia’s flag to England’s provide Wales with that extra bit of motivation to win today?” emails Peter Oh. Somehow, I can’t imagine them celebrating quite as much when Georgia concede to other opposition.
Wales’ only change sees David Edwards replace Joe Allen, who was injured in Austria on Thursday. Georgia are unchanged from their defeat in Dublin.
The teams
Wales (5-3-2): Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams, Davies, Taylor; Edwards, Ledley, King; Bale, Vokes.
Georgia (4-4-1-1): Loria; Kakabadze, Kverkvelia, Kashia, Navalovski; Ananidze, Daushvili, Gvilia, Oriashvili; Kazaishvili; Mchedlidze.
Referee: P Mazzoleni (It).
Missing the injured Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen, Chris Coleman has told Wales to dig deep to secure a historic first win over Georgia in their World Cup qualifier in Cardiff
Stuart James’ match preview
Hello. There are some poor groups in this campaign, but Group D is an exception to the rule. Heading into the third round of fixtures, four teams are on four points – with Wales joined by Austria, Serbia and the Republic of Ireland. Wales may be the favourites to get through but it will likely go down to the final set of games and there will be plenty of twists along the road to Russia.
Chris Coleman’s team should, despite the absence of several players, climb to seven points later this evening because this is, on paper, the second least difficult fixture, after Moldova at home, who they hammered in their opener last month. Georgia are tough to break down but are poor travellers and they lack a goalscorer – plus, their only two away wins in competitive fixtures have come against the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar. Vladimir Weiss’s team did make it difficult for a poor Ireland last Thursday night but still slumped to a 1-0 defeat, while Austria were fighting back to draw 2-2 with the Euro 2016 semi-finalists.
Prediction: Wales 2-0 Georgia. Kick-off is 5pm BST. Team news to follow imminently.
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