Wales 4-1 Finland: Rob Page's side one game away from Euro 2024 after convincing win
Cymru supporters say they're "proud" of their side's performance against Finland on Thursday night.
Wales are one game away from Euro 2024 after thrashing Finland 4-1 in a qualifying play-off match in the capital.
It took just three minutes for lift-off at the Cardiff City Stadium. Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson played a neat one-two to put the latter through on goal.
His effort was well-saved by Lukas Hradecky, but he could only parry it into the path of David Brooks, who adjusted brilliantly to volley into the net, lighting the fuse on a raucous atmosphere.
Minutes later, Daniel Hakans couldn't keep an awkward volley from close range down and it flashed over Danny Ward's net. But it was a warning to anyone in a red shirt who was considering getting carried away.
Finland settled after going a goal down and Teemu Pukki beat the offside trap only for his first time effort to trundle meekly into the arms of a grateful Ward.
The visitors were enjoying a surprising amount of the ball in Wales' half but doing little with it. Around the 20-minute mark, Rob Page's side looked to break on the counter through Brooks, who was cynically brought down by Robin Lod. A yellow card from referee Istvan Kovacs followed.
Wales received another warning in the 26th minute but once again Hakans fluffed his lines inside the box. Up the other end, Johnson had gone through on goal but mistimed his run and a long-range effort from Wilson kept Hradecky's hands warm.
But on the whole, Wales had offered little since their opening salvo. Then they got out of jail.
Chris Mepham's simple pass to centre-back partner Joe Rodon woefully missed its intended target but a recovering Ben Davies did enough to prevent Pukki equalising. Seconds later, Johnson was fouled on the edge of the Finland box. Cue pandemonium.
Wilson laid it off to Neco Williams, who fired it into the top right-hand corner of the net, giving Hradecky absolutely no chance.
But Finland put a dampener on the atmosphere and hit back just before the break. Two Welsh defenders were attracted to the same loose ball but Joel Pahjanpalo got there before both of them. He poked it through to put Pukki through and he slotted it beyond Ward.
The next time the referee's whistle went was for half time and Wales led 2-1.
Any nerves that Pukki brought on were settled within 90 seconds of the restart. Ethan Ampadu rose at the back post to nod the ball down to Brooks, his scuffed shot found Johnson unmarked on the other side of goal for the simplest of tap-ins.
Just after the hour mark, Wilson burst through and had a chance to pop the cork on the celebrations but his curling effort didn't curl enough.
The game was meandering through its final third when a delicate pass from Ampadu put substitute Kieffer Moore through on goal but the angle was too tight and the big striker's left-footed shot was smothered by Hradecky.
Captain Ben Davies thought he'd given his side an unassailable lead with 10 minutes to go when he nodded home, only for VAR to intervene and deem that Hradecky was impeded.
But with four minutes remaining, Dan James came from 20 yards away to disposses a dithering Miro Tenho after a hopeful ball over the top. The flying winger rounded the Finnish goalkeeper to complete the job.
Wales got home without any further damage and will now face Poland - who thumped 10-man Estonia 5-1 - on Tuesday night for a place at Euro 2024.
Wales XI: Ward; B Davies, Mepham, Rodon, Roberts; N Williams, Ampadu, J James, Wilson; Johnson, Brooks
Wales subs: Hennessy, King, Fox, D James, Ramsey, Sheehan, Savage, Dasilva, Broadhead, Moore, Matondo, Cullen.
Finland XI: Hradecky; Peltola, Ivanov, Tenho, Alho; Pohjanpalo, Schuller, Kamara; Kakana, Lod, Pukki.
Finland subs: Sinisalo, Joronen, Hoskonen, R Jenson, Soiori, Uronen, F Jensen, Suhonen, Niakanen, Kairinen, Kallman, Antman.
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