Wales held on for victory against Slovakia in Cardiff to make a winning start to their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
The hosts flew out of the blocks with attacking intent and led inside five minutes as Daniel James struck his first international goal with a bullet of a shot from 20 yards.
Wales had chances to extend their lead but risked squandering it against a resurgent Slovakia, for whom Albert Rusnak and Robert Mak both had shots saved by Wayne Hennessey.
The Wales goalkeeper then made a crucial intervention with eight minutes left as he palmed away Michal Duris’s close-range header, before David Hancko missed the rebound as the visitors pressed for an equaliser.
Ryan Giggs’ side, the second seeds in Group E, lived dangerously in the closing stages but they defended resolutely to cling on for what could prove to be a crucial win against Slovakia, the group’s third seeds and potentially their closest rivals for one of the two automatic qualifying places.
Slovakia and Croatia, the top seeds, had already started their campaigns with victories over Hungary and Azerbaijan respectively, so Wales move level with them on three points, with World Cup runners-up Croatia away at Hungary later on Sunday.
Wales’ dream start
This was a significant result for Wales, who are aiming to rekindle the magic of Euro 2016 and that epic run to the semi-finals after a 58-year absence from major tournaments.
Giggs had described his mixed first year in charge as a “free hit”, an opportunity to experiment, knowing he would be judged on this qualifying campaign.
Under his guidance, Wales have evolved in an attacking sense – with their new manager placing a strong emphasis on youth and pace – but that has occasionally been at the expense of defensive stability.
In some ways, this match was a snapshot of Giggs’ tenure so far, as Wales poured forward with wild abandon, albeit at times leaving themselves exposed at the back.
Giggs stuck to his guns with another bold team selection, dropping captain Ashley Williams in favour of Anderlecht’s James Lawrence and handing a first competitive start to Swansea City’s rapid winger and rising star James.
The 21-year-old set the tone for a purposeful Welsh start as he, David Brooks, Harry Wilson and stand-in skipper Gareth Bale switched positions to create a fluid frontline which tormented the Slovakian defence with speed and direct running.
Three were involved in the opening goal as Wilson deftly flicked the ball to Brooks, who drove towards the Slovakian backline and, although he lost possession, Peter Pekarik dithered on the ball and had his pocket picked by James, who smashed it past Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka from the edge of the area.
Wales attacked their opponents at will, with Brooks twice firing wide – but it was far from one-way traffic, as Slovakia enjoyed long spells of possession and worked their way into promising positions as the first half wore on.
–-BBC