Quite how it helped as a preparation for Sunday’s game against Croatia where we won’t see much of the ball I’m not sure, but a Welsh side featuring four debutants were 4-0 winners over a Gibraltar team ranked 198 in the world at the Racecourse, Wrexham tonight.
Going by the fact that both France and the Netherlands have played Gibraltar since March and only won by 3-0, Wales can be satisfied at the outcome, but it was a little disappointing that they couldn’t add to the quartet of goals they scored in the second quarter of the game, a period when the overworked Gibraltar defence could easily have conceded a couple more.
Apart from a shot by Dan James, an early sub for Wes Burns who looked like he may have dislocated his shoulder, which rebounded off an upright, the second half was a non event, but, by playing right through it, centrebacks Joe Low (son of Josh) and Reagan Poole, midfielder Charlie Savage (son of Robbie) and forward Liam Cullen were all able to complete ninety minutes in their first senior game for their country.
It’s not always the case, but this time the match stats tell an accurate story – seventy eight per cent possession, twenty eight goal attempts (eleven on target) to nil and ten corners to one. All of this meant that Portsmouth’s Poole and Wycombe’s Low had a comfortable and untroubled start to senior international football, Reading’s Savage was given time he probably won’t see too often again at this level to show an impressive range of passing and he was denied a goal by Gibraltar keeper Coleing’s best save of the night, while Swansea’s Cullen had his best moments as a provider, rather than a finisher.
Aaron Ramsey’s injury means that we’re back to the situation where City have no representation in the senior squad although it may be a cause of some embarrassment that Burns, Poole and Tom Lockyer, who came on as a second half sub, were all released by City’s Academy as teenagers.
The first goal came from a corner taken by Nathan Broadhead – it was a good set piece delivery, but the goal was more down to non existent Gibraltar marking which enabled captain Ben Davies to nod in from only a couple of yards out
Three minutes later, Savage’s good cross was headed in from twelve yards by Kieffer Moore via a post for what plenty of people will have called a trademark goal by the ex City striker by the time this is read..
The best goal of the night came from Broadhead who took a pass from James, sidestepped a defender and shot high into the net from twelve yards. Moore’s second was a simple header from a James cross and at the time it seemed possible that Wales could double their tally – maybe they were saving the goals for Croatia!
One question arising from the evening was how can Robert Page’s baffling treatment of Fulham teenager Luke Harris be explained? Jersey born Harris has Welsh parents and so capping him last night wouldn’t have ensured he’d spend his career representing the land of his mother and father. That needs to be done in a competitive match, but it’s over a year now since the eighteen year old, who has played Premier League football already for his club, was first selected in the Wales senior squad and he’s still awaiting his first cap.
Of the four debutants only possibly Cullen has been in as many Welsh squads as Harris has, yet the other three came straight in to play ninety minutes – three of the debutants are at League One clubs having moved on from sides in the Premier League and Championship without being able to establish themselves and yet a youngster who is in the process of breaking into a Premier League side doesn’t see a second of action!
Liverpool left sided player Owen Beck was another one who stayed on the bench in what you would have thought was an ideal opportunity to get an idea of what the players in the squad without international experience were capable of, but it didn’t happen for him – that’s strange, but the way Harris (who dropped into the under 21 squad for the last international break) is being treated defies logic.
City might not have any representation in the senior side, but there were seven of their players in the Wales under 19 squad that drew 0-0 with their Austrian counterparts today. Luey Giles, Dylan Lawlor, Japhet Matondo and Tanatswa Nyakuhwa all started and Dan Barton, Josh Beecher and Troy Perrett were substitutes.
