Here’s Stuart James’s match report from Bordeaux. Enjoy, Wales fans.
Full-time: Wales 2-1 Slovakia
After 58 years, Wales can celebrate not merely participation in a major tournament - but a victory! They made an accomplished start but were on the ropes for a while in the second half, but the introductions of Robson-Kanu and Ledley turned things back in their favour before Robson-Kanu secured an historic win. It’s the perfect start for Wales, and who’s to say how it will end. There’ll be an epoch-defining party in Bordeaux tonight, for one thing.
Next up: it’s England v Russia, with Gregg Bakowski.
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90+2 min: Skrtel booked for a ludicrous tackle on Davies. There was no way he was going to make it to full-time without a card, even with these officials.
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90 + 1 min: There will be at least three more minutes before Wales can celebrate like it’s 1958...
90 min: Another counter-attack for Wales, with Bale and Robson-Kanu against just two defenders. This time Bale opts to fly solo, and his low shot from the edge of the area is parried by Kozacik.
Wales substitution: Richards on for Ramsey.
87 min: Counter-attack for Wales, a great chance to seal victory! Bale gallops towards the box, drawing two defenders towards him before supplying Ramsey to his left. But Ramsey isn’t clinical enough, hesitating just long enough to allow the defenders to adjust and crowd around him. The chance evaporates.
86 min: Svento twists and turns his way down the left and delivers a fine cross. Nemec beats Ashley Williams to it and heads powerfully past Ward ... and against the post! A let-off, and no mistake
83 min: Lovely play by Wales. Robson-Kanu killed a pass from Allen and then laid the ball off to Bale, who played a delicious pass with the outside of his boot to Ramsey, darting forward again from deep. If Ramsey takes the ball down well, he’s in on goal ... but his touch betrays him at the last.
81 min: The two Welsh subs who have had a big say in stabilising Wales since their introduction combined to put their country back in front. Ledley picked out Ramsey with a lovely ball from deep. Ramsey tip-toed his way past one defender at the edge of the box and then slightly lost the run of it but retained enough awareness to flick it to Robson-Kanu, running in to his right. Robson-Kanu’s connection was anything but textbook - his shin may have been involved - but his shot bobbled past the wrongfooted keeper and into the net!
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GOAL! Wales 2-1 Slovakia (Robson-Kanu 81)
It’s scrappy but it’s glorious!
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80 min: Bale sends the freekick towards goal. Kozacik, having decided to wait and see where it was going this time, saves easily.
79 min: Durica climbs on Robson-Kanu and gives away freekick about 35 yards out. Bale territory?
78 min: Mak booked for carrying on his run into Allen after the midfielder whacked the ball away from. Ramsey takes it: he has seven team-mates to aim at it in the box. But the keeper bounds off his line to punch clear.
76 min: Wales needs help ... and their fans know it, which is why they’ve begun belting out another marvellous rendition of their national anthem. It really is stirring stuff.
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74 min: Oohhhh! Robson-Kanu did brilliantly to win the ball in the left-hand corner and shrug off Durica before clipping a perfect cross towards the near post. Ramsey ever so slightly mis-times his jump and, as a result, fails to keep the ball down, sending his header just over from seven yards. What a glorious chance, and a painful miss.
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72 min: It’s all Slovakia. They’re pushing Wales deeper and deeper. On the upside, that could leave space for Bale to hit on the counter ....
Wales substitution: Robson-Kanu on for Jonny Williams, who performed very well before running low on energy.
Wales substitution: Ledley on for Edwards. Coleman wanted to bring on Robson-Kanu too, but the fifth official couldn’t work the sign properly so Robson-Kanu will have to wait.
68 min: Mak sidesteps Ramsey and lets fly from 20 yards. Over the bar.
67 min: Coleman has some thinking to do. Slovakia are in charge now,. Wales can’t get a hold of midfield at all. If Ledley is fit enough to play 20 minutes, he needs to be on. “Oh great, Duda scores,” groans Karl Tulinius. “It’ll be a while before my brain is free of Camptown Races.”
65 min: Wales are reeling. Kucka has a pop from 30 yards and it swirls this and that. Ward just about pushes it away but two Slovakians bear down on the rebound. Chester gets to it first and sticks it behind for a corner.
62 min: Edwards brings down Weiss to concede a freekick about 25 yards out, to the left. Slovakia have got their danders up now, and Wales need to steady themselves. At least Weiss doesn’t add to their anxiety from the freekick, which he sends into the stands, where Slovakia fans are now dancing with joy.
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GOAL! Wales 1-1 Slovakia (Duda 61)
What an impact from the substitute! Mak made an excellent run into the box, shrugging off Ramsey and laying the ball in to Duda, who decks Ashley Williams with a little feint and then fires low into the net! That’s a hell of a first touch!
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Slovakia substitutions: Nemec and Duda on for Duris and Hrosovsky.
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58 min: Allen hooks the ball back from the byline towards Bale, who leaps high above Pekarik and powers a downward header towards goal from eight yards. It is close to the keeper, however, and Kozacik makes a diving save.
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56 min: Trouble now for Wales, as Mak ghosts in behind Ashley Williams to collect a fine through-ball from deep. But Mak rushes his shot and slams it wide, granting the Welsh a reprieve but also a reminder that until Wales score a second, this game is up for grabs.
54 min: Davies sweeps a majestic ball crossfield to Gunther. Gunther didn’t make best use of it but that diagonal pass has been a successful tactic so far.
52 min: Jonny Williams elicits gleeful olés from the Welsh fans by skipping past two opponents before being upended by an exasperated Kucka.
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50 min: Corner to Wales, generously given by Durica, who headed it behind while under no pressure. Ramsey delivers and outswinger. And Kozacik, in fairness, does well to catch it cleanly amid a ruck of bodies.
47 min: Wales looking cosy. They’re stroking the ball around purposefully and Slovakia don’t seem to have much of a clue what to do about it. They’ve been the weakest team in the tournament so far.
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46 min: No changes in personnel during the break, which means no substitutions and Sktrel didn’t find a way to get sent off at half-time. Mind you, it’s hard to think what more he could have done after his effort on Jonny Williams in the first period.
Half-time: Wales 1-0 Slovakia
It’s gone pretty much to plan for Wales, who, after surviving one big early scare, have played with impressive spirit and purpose. Bale, of course, scored the goal, thanks in part to dreadful goalkeeping - which is an emerging theme in the tournament - and since then the Welsh have been quite accomplished and definitely kept their heads better than their opponents in a pleasingly spiky affair. Slovakia put on a bit more pressure towards the end of the half but Ward has still not had much to do. There are twists and turns left in this one, to be sure.
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45+1 min: Davies wins the ball in midfield, strides forward and feeds Bale, who tries a sweeping first-time shot from distance. The keeper saves comfortably.
45 min: Skrtel, having stayed upfield after the corner, nearly gets on the end of a ball back into the box. It was fractionally too long, which is just as well for Ashley Williams, who had lost sight of Skrtel.
44 min: Weiss delivers a corner. Who clears it at the neat post? Bale, that’s who.
41 min: The pressure rom Slovakia is building, and Weiss is looking especially dangerous. He’s got beautiful tricky feet and as soon as he gets in the box he makes Welsh defenders jittery. But they keep getting just enough of a touch to thwart him.
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39 min: Slovkia force Wales deep and, for the first time since the goal, the Welsh are stretched at the back. Weiss twists his way past Ashley Williams at the edge of the area but his shot is blocked.
37 min: Duric fouls Williams to enable Wales to relieve the pressure. They’re losing the head, Slovakia, and playing into Wales’ hands.
34 min: Bale pings a pass wide to Gunter, available as ever. Gunter floats a cross to the back post, from where Taylor tries to nod it back across the face of goal. But Slovakia clear. At the moment another Wales goal is looking far more likely than an equaliser. But you also get the feeling that the officials are going to have a big influence on this result, especially as tackle are becoming ever more meaty ...
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@Paul_Doyle Never a penalty. His head's still attached to his neck.
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) June 11, 2016
32 min: Skrtel attempts to shepherd the ball out of play ... but Jonny Williams is too nimble for him and sneaks inside him ... he’s about to take the ball when a desperate Skrtel throws an elbow into him ... that’s the most obvious penalty you’ll ever see! But none of the officials saw it, so it’s play on. Remarkable.
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31 min: Hrosovksy booked for crunching into a tackle outside the Welsh box, leaving Jonny Williams in a heap. But he actually won the ball.
29 min: It’s been plain sailing for Wales really since they took the lead. Slovakia have not been able to come up with anything to ruffle them.
27 min: Taylor takes a heavy touch and then lunges at the ball in a bid to retrieve it. Hamsik gets to it first .. and is clobbered by Taylor. Most refs would give at least a yellow card for that, but this one either didn’t see it properly or is a devout believe in the old ways, so he doesn’t even give a freekick. Lucky Taylor.
25 min: Bale helps the ball on to the overlapping Gunter with a lovely flick. The ensuing cross is disappointing, but it’s encouraging that Gunter is continually getting into a dangerous position.
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24 min: Kucka decides it’s about time Slovakia tested Ward again: but sending the ball into the stands from 25 yards is no way to go about it.
22 min: David Beckham, Xabi Alonso, Charlie Adam ... and Ashley Williams? No, not quite, as the centreback’s attempt to score rom 55 yards falls just short. Still, it’s further evidence the Welsh sense Kozacik can be got at.
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20 min: Bale nicks the ball Hrovosky on halfway, and Wales are suddenly flying forward. Ramsey has a bang from 20 yards, presumably on the grounds that the keeper has looked liable to goof every time the ball comes near him. But this time Kozacik saves comfortably.
18 min: Ramsey aims a long diagonal ball towards Gunter, who has sprinted down the right in anticipation of it. He gets a toe to it but can’t keep it in. “Re: Matt Dony’s point (below), is group B the best collection of anthems at this tournament?” asks David Wall aloud. “In addition to the stirring Welsh, the Slovakian one had a classic Warsaw-pact-nation feel to it, and the Russian anthem is absolutely peerless. Or does the group get marked down because of England’s tedious dirge?”
15 min: Slovakia have spent the last two minutes trying to settle themselves with steady possession. Wales have now decided to let them have it in their own half if they wish. With a precious lead to protect, they’ll not be infiltrated easily.
13 min: There’s a definite shakiness to the Slovakian defence, and Wales are trying to profit from that by pressing them busily when they have it at the back.
11 min: Looking at a replay of the goal, the ball didn’t actually wobble quite as much as I originally thought. Kozacik, the keeper, actually confused himself as much as anything, wrongly anticipating where Bale was going to place it.
GOAL! Wales 1-0 Slovakia (Bale 10)
Bale triggers an explosion of Welsh joy in Bordeaux by sending a swirling freekick into the net from afar! The keeper was completely bewildered by the varying flight of the ball, and Wales have the start they dreamed of!
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9 min: Good interception by Chester, who sets up a Welsh counter. It comes to an end when Jonny Williams is upended. But the danger has certainly not departed, as Bale is lining up the freekick from about 28 yards.
7 min: A chance for Ramsey to stick the ball into the Slovakian box, as Wales have a freekick about 40 yards out. He flights it towards the penalty spot, where the keeper gets a soft punch through a bevy of bodies. It falls to Allen, who can’t adjust his feet quickly enough to steer his shot on target, instead sending it back into all the traffic. Slovakia scamble it away.
4 min: That was a devastating run by Hamsik, who has truly thrown down the gauntlet to Bale.
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3 min: Unbelievable! Davies loses possession mid-way inside his own half, and Hamsik slices through the Welsh defence and the goalkeeper! He seems certain to score ... but Davies had charged back after losing the ball and slides in to perform a sensational last-gasp clearance off the line! “France have had it all their own way at tournaments in the anthem stakes, with the joyous Marsellaise: finally, some competition for them,” croons Matt Dony.
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1 min: Slovakia do the honours. They work it back, then hoof it forward. Jonny Williams get it back and embarks on a dinky little run down the right, past a couple of players before he’s crowded out. It’s a bright opening by the Welsh, whose every touch is being acclaimed loudly by their fans, who seem to vastly outnumber the Slovakians.
Anthemns done. Huddle done. Next step: kickoff. It’s happening!
Here comes Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, with lusty accompaniment from 25,000 Welsh folks who’ve not had a chance to sing it at a major football tournament before. Magnificent!
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The teams are in the tunnel. Slovakia are in a dark blue kit with a turquoise trim. Wales are in their familiar red top, white shorts and red socks. They all look quite stern-faced compared to the rather relaxed Slovakians. Showtime is nearing ...
“Remember Allen’s volleyed goal against Arsenal at Anfield,” coos Walter. “It was so good it nearly broke Wenger’s hand. Here’s what he said: ‘We’re on a rollercoaster all season, we all are. I think I nearly broke my hand when Joe Allen equalised in the last minute at Anfield, thumping the steel bar in front of me.”
In the two matches so far, the players touted as their team’s talismans did not really deliver: Pogba, Griezmann, Shaqiri, Stanciu and Cana. Only Payet truly seized the moment. But there’s been an encouraging mix of composure and audacity in Bale’s demeanour in the build-up to this match: it looks like he’s been given a free attacking role and he seems minded to make the most of it.
Historic day for #wal fans inside Stade de Bordeaux. Reward for those who've followed them through some tough times pic.twitter.com/aqsoOJqvX6
— Stuart James (@StuartJamesGNM) June 11, 2016
Here’s Matthias Hoenisch with the correct answer to the previous question: “I’d definitely say the Joe Allen screamer is more likely - they don’t call him the Welsh Pirlo for nothing, and I just know that inside those gorgeous flowing locks there’s a brilliant football brain.”
The only noises reaching us here from Bordeaux are stories of song and cheer, as Welsh and Slovakian fans have a fine old jamboree. News from Marseille, on the other hand, is at the other end of the scale: there’s talk of wholesale fighting and one particularly sinister attack on English fans by Russian ones. More details will appear on this site when they come in.
Question: which is more likely, Martin Skrtel not being given the run-around by Bale today, or Joe Allen replicating this?:
Chris Coleman has just been interviewed on the BBC and struck exactly the right note: “We’re very excited. This is what we’ve always wanted. We feel the tension, excitement and anxiety because ti’s such a big deal for us. WE’ve waited so long and now we’re here. Something like 25,000 people have travelled from Wales to Bordeaux to support their country – it’s an absolutely fantastic feeling, I can’t describe it. I’ve just told the players to savour it. If you can’t enjoy something like this, then you’re in the wrong industry.”
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to our coverage of an event that many people feared would never come to pass. Nearly three quarters of the Welsh population were not born the last time their country appeared in a major tournament, when a side deprived of John Charles was eliminated by Pele’s first ever World Cup goal, Frankie Laine was No1 in the UK with I Believe and the National Union of Mineworkers held a conference in Porthcawl in south Wales to demand a wage increase of £3 per week. In other words, this match has been a long time coming. But Joe Jordan’s handball, Paul Bodin’s botched penalty and Yegor Titov’s special vitamins all in the past, now is about Chris Coleman’s team. And a strong team it is: will Ashley Williams, Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey and, oh yeah, Gareth Bale overcome nerves and a decent Slovakia side and deliver the perfect ending to their country’s epic wait? Thats what we’re here to find out. It’s going to be memorable.
And it’s going to be particularly memorable for Danny Ward. Because word from Bordeaux is that the 22-year-old Liverpool reserve goalkeeper has been drafted into the starting lineup to replace Wayne Hennessey, who has been ruled with a back injury. Having spent the first part of this season wondering quietly how the hell Simon Mignolet was keeping him out of Liverpool’s team, Ward went on loan to Aberdeen and did well. In March he made his senior debut for Wales - and today he plays the biggest match of his life. Good luck young man!
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Teams:
Wales: Ward; Gunter, Chester, A Williams, Davies, Taylor; Allen, Edwards, Ramsey; J Williams, Bale
Subs: King, Robson-Kanu, Fon Williams, G Williams, Richards, Ledley Cotterill, Vokes, Collins, Vaughan, Church, Hennessey
Slovakia:
Kozacik; Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Svento; Kucka, Hrosovsky, Hamsik; Mak, Duris, Weiss
Subs: Mucha, Gyomber, Gregus, Duda, Sestak, Stoch, Nemec, Novota, Skriniar, Hubocan, Salata, Pecevosky
Referee: S Odvar Moen (Norway)
And you should also check out David Hytner’s interview with ex-Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss, who has a warning for England and Wales:
Vladimir Weiss had just turned 24. The Manchester City academy product, who was once tipped as the club’s next big thing, had experience of the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A while he had built a reputation on the international scene with Slovakia. The winger was a part of his country’s historicbolt to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Now Weiss had an offer and a life‑changing decision to make. Except that there was not really a decision. It was an offer he could not refuse – the Qataris tend to make them that way. It was January 2014 and it had come from Lekhwiya, one of the leading clubs in the Qatar Stars League. Weiss was playing for Olympiakos at the time and testing himself in the Champions League. Before long he was on the plane to Doha.
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