Cyprus destroy Wales!

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Wales match reaction

A miserable performance by Wales saw them easily beaten 1-0 in their friendly against Cyprus.

Only debutant goalkeeper Lewis Price stopped the home side scoring more, while Wales created little themselves.

Price made a smart save early on from Constantinos Charalambidis and then kept out shots by Lambros Lambrou and Chrysis Michael in quick succession.

He was finally beaten by Michael's penalty after Danny Collins had fouled Constantinos Makrides in the area.

Wales were without three of their most creative players in Ryan Giggs, Jason Koumas and Simon Davies - and their absence in midfield was painfully clear.

While John Toshack's team were struggling to even string passes together, Cyprus were causing havoc with their pace and movement at the other end.

Wales were seriously outclassed

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Only Price's brilliance stopped the home side opening the scoring in the first 10 minutes, as he made a superb stop to keep out a close-range volley from Charalambidis.

Soon after, John Hartson failed to clear a Cyprus corner and Lambrou fired in a powerful volley that Price again did well to beat away.

The young Ipswich keeper, 21, then had to react quickly to parry a Lambrou free-kick that fizzed through his wall, and somehow managed to keep out Michael's follow-up too. When the ball was headed back goalwards David Vaughan recovered to clear off the line.

Wales did sporadically threaten but their only dangerman was Craig Bellamy. His pace got him in some dangerous areas, but he was also too fast for his team-mates - and too often his crosses were wasted because of a lack of support.

It still looked like Wales would hang on at 0-0 until half-time, but Cyprus kept coming forward and their persistence paid off.

A rash challenge by Collins felled Makrides and Michael stepped up to coolly roll the ball into the corner.

Toshack bolstered his midfield at the break by bringing on Gavin Williams for Collins and although his new-look 4-4-2 formation did subdue Cyprus, it did not make Wales any more effective going forward.

The service to Bellamy and John Hartson dried up altogether and the game soon degenerated into a scrappy affair, fought out in the middle of the park.

Substitute Rob Earnshaw's introduction to form a three-pronged attack on 66 minutes drew cheers from the Welsh fans who made up the majority of the 1,000-strong crowd - but the popular striker barely got a sniff of the ball.

Instead it was Cyprus who ended the game with a flourish as they again began to open Wales up.

Price again was at his best to save two efforts by Ioannis Okkas and then pushed a Makrides shot over the bar.

There was still time for Earnshaw to send a shot flashing past the post before the end - but that was Wales' only effort on goal all game and a draw would have been far more than they deserved.

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Cyprus: Morfis (Georgallides 71), Okkarides, Lambrou (Louka 79), Michael, Charalambidis, Elia (Theofilou 70), Garpozis, Krassas, Makrides, Okkas, Yiasoumi (Alecou 76).

Subs Not Used: Kythreotis, Charalambous, Maragos, Aloneftis, Alexandrou.

Goals: Michael 42 pen.

Wales: Price, Duffy (Edwards 76), Gabbidon, Page, Danny Collins (Williams 46), Ricketts, Fletcher, Robinson, Vaughan (Earnshaw 66), Bellamy, Hartson.

Subs Not Used: Roberts, Weston, Jones.

Booked: Fletcher.

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Wales

Cyrpus 1-0 Wales

Wales manager John Toshack launched a scathing attack on his side after their 1-0 friendly defeat in Cyprus.

Toshack said: "That was the worst international performance that I have ever witnessed.

"I was embarrassed by what I saw and I feel sorry for our fans for having to see that because they came out to Cyprus in numbers to support us.

"We tried something in the first half and it didn't work and then we changed after the break and it was even worse."

Chrysis Michael scored the winner for Cyprus with a 42nd-minute penalty after Danny Collins tripped Konstantinos Makridis.

What I saw out there bitterly disappointed me. I could have done better and so could many of the players

Wales manager John Toshack

Wales managed only one shot in the entire game - a Rob Earnshaw effort that curled wide on 85 minutes.

"I will now not see these players for about four months so there is no point in not saying how I feel. I have never been one for avoiding the issue," Toshack added.

"What I saw out there bitterly disappointed me. I could have done better and so could many of the players.

"We were missing a lot of our first choice but that is not an excuse. It goes with the territory of being Wales boss.

"I just hope we are going through an uneasy spell with genuine injuries. But we will have to do a lot better than that to get anywhere near the required level."

Toshack, who has been in charge of Wales for almost exactly 12 months, accepted that it is down to him to turn the team around.

He said: "What you saw out there stops with me. I'm the man who is supposed to make it better but I couldn't tonight.

"I know I can do better than what we saw and some of these lads can as well.

"The 1-0 result flattered us. If it had not been for our keeper Lewis Price, we could have been on the wrong end of an even worse defeat.

"I cannot be too pleased with some of my decisions and I am going to have to work a lot harder and better than that."

I have to say Bravo stin Mikri tin Kypros yia kali emphanisi..

[JOHNNY]

By chance I managed to hear the game in my car on BBC Radio Wales as it's a very clear night in Glasgow. The former Wales and Everton captain Kevin Ratcliffe was disgusted by the Welsh performance, and reckoned the score could have easily been 5,6 or 7-0 if the keeper hadn't had such an outstanding debut.

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[zachos]

A re Bidi upervolike..Vlepo to topic kai leo that tous rixate 5-6...Gia 1-0 les oti tous katastrepsate? Diladian tous rihnate 5 ti tha eleges?

Kai siga tin omadara..Kaluteri einai h Kupros!