KEIR RADNEDGE in CARDIFF —- Either way Wales’ World Cup qualifying playoff against Ukraine was one for the headlines: Wales at the finals for the first time since 1958 or Ukraine delivering a sporting gesture of encouragement to an embattled, besieged nation.

In the end it was Wales who ended their long, long wait. That it was delivered by an own goal was neither here nor there. Wales had not beaten Ukraine in any of their previous three meetings but the first in the fourth meeting will go down in Welsh football folklore.

In the finals in Qatar they will be in Group B along with England, Iran and United States.

The tie should have been staged back in March but then Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashed his armies and football was despatched to vanishing point. In the meantime Wales defeated Austria and waited for Ukraine or Scotland.

Their latter duel had been resolved in an emotionally-charged Hampden Park last Wednesday: Ukraine could have won by more than the eventual 3-1 margin.

No-one doubted that a ring-rusty Ukraine had the heart for a second ‘final’ in five days but whether they had the legs was another matter. In the end the physical and psychological effort was just beyond them.

Wales had come so close on a host of too many previous occasions. For all their brave recent Euro campaigns this was the ultimate dream – a place on the World Cup stage for only the second time and the first in 64 years.

Brilliant Bale

The ‘Red Wall chorale of a 32,666 crowd in the Cardiff City Stadium propelled to Qatar a team inspired by the most decorated Welsh player of all time in captain Gareth Bale. His nine years with Real Madrid were now history. Only this focus remained: reaching the World Cup finals.

Not that he saw much of the early exchanges after Ukraine charged forward as if trying to win the game before Wales had even tracked back from the kickoff. Welsh nerves under immediate pressure were evidenced by early yellow cards for scrappers Joe Allen and Dan James.

The Ukrainians, encouraged, forged forward at speed, and Wales keeper Wayne Hennessey had to save alertly from Oleksandr Karavaev and Andriy Yarmolenko. In reply Neco Williams hit the side net in a first Wales raid and Bale lifted a shot high over the bar.

Wales were fortunate to escape in the 27th minute when some neat high-speed inter-passing played Viktor Tsygankov through on the left. He raced on into the penalty area and jabbed his shot wide. Referee Lahoz called the game back for offside but video showed that Tsygankov had been onside when the pass was played.

Breakthrough

In the 34th minute, and largely against the run of play, Wales went ahead when an angled free kick from Bale was dive-headed back into the Ukraine goal by their captain Yarmolenko.

Ukraine wasted no time pursuing an equaliser but a fierce drive by Olseksandr Zinchenko was denied by Hennessey and Wales survived a couple of goal-area panics in the last minutes of the first half.

Wales began to look more composed in the second half but still had to rely on Hennessey to save with an outstreched foot from Tsygankov. The ball ricocheted back against the boot of Yaremchuk and safely wide of goal.

The game grew ever more desperate. Wales brought on Brennan Johnson who immediately hit a post then Bale had a close-range shot saved by Bushchan.

Finest save

At the other end a superb block by Ben Davies denied Yarmolenko before Hennessey produced the save of the match, leaping to his left to palm away a header from newly-arrived Anton Dovbyk.

By this time the tiring Bale had been substituted by Harry Wilson for the climactic minutes. Welsh fans held their breath for the six minutes of stoppage time, cheered with relief when Yarmolenko drove over the bar then exploded in delirium at the final whistle.

In victory the Welsh players generously walked across the pitch to salute the 1,800 Ukraine fans, who saluted the victors in their turn. Honours and appreciation all round. But there could be only one team of winners. This time, at last, it was Wales.

The teams:

Wales: Hennessey – Roberts, Davies, Rodon, Williams (Norrington-Davies 90) – Ampadu, Ramsey, Allen, James (Johnson 71) – Moore, Bale (Wilson 83).

Ukraine: Bushchan – Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko – Stepanenko (Sydorchuk 70) – Yarmolenko, Malinovskyi (Shaparenko 70), Zinchenko, Tzygankov (Muryk 77) – Yaremchuk (Dovbyk 77).

Referee: Lahoz (Spa).

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