From Graham Thomas in Bordeaux
A mis-hit shot by Hal Robson-Kanu earned Wales a triumphant return after 58 years away – the scuff that dreams are made of.
The substitute rolled home the winner against Slovakia to earn a 2-1 victory in Wales’ opening match of Euro 2016 in Bordeaux.
It was one of the few poor connections Wales made on an evening when they moved to the top of Group B by looking as if they were veterans of major tournament football, rather than absentees since 1958.
Gareth Bale’s stunning free-kick – misjudged by a fearful Slovak goalkeeper – gave Chris Coleman’s side an early lead and although Ondrej Duda equalised, Wales were able to weather the storm that followed before Aaron Ramsey created Robson-Kanu’s winner with only 10 minutes remaining.
Coleman paid huge tribute to his players and to the thousands of Welsh fans who created a raucous party atmosphere that mixed deep pride and good humour in equal measure.
“I said before the game, whatever happens today if we got three points, one point or no points, it didn’t matter about the result because you’re not guaranteed anything,” he said.
“You can go home even though you may be unbeaten. That’s the way it is. We got the three points which is fantastic, but more importantly was the performance.
“When our supporters are like that, and you play for Wales, it’s so important we give our very best because after that there’s no complaints. That’s what we got.
“They gave everything we had. We had to make one or two changes, especially with Rambo at the end as he covered so much ground. We shut the shop up. But overall, every one of them was fantastic, you can’t ask for more than everything which is what they gave.”
The statistic that really matters is that Wales went top of Group B with a goal difference of +1, but others are just as satisfying for any Wales fan looking further ahead.
Projections done before the tournament began showed that teams finishing with just three points have an 80 per cent chance of making the knockout stages, given that 16 of the 24 teams progress.
It was achieved very much in the manner Wales had qualified, when they lost just once in the entire campaign. The back five, with Neil Taylor pushing forward at every opportunity, were reliable and composed.
The midfield were generally efficient and productive with Joe Allen making plenty of interceptions and tackles in the areas from which Slovakia threatened danger.
And up front, Bale delivered with a priceless goal as he did seven times in qualification. It was not his best performance for Wales by any means, but Coleman was just as enthused with the Real Madrid’s star’s workrate as with his goal.
Coleman added: “Everyone will look at his goal and he was fast and powerful. But some of his best moments were at the end of the game at 2-1 when he used his intelligence.
“He was basically heading the ball out of play to waste time. It wasn’t pretty but he gave everything for the win for Wales. He knew it wasn’t about Gareth Bale, it is about Wales.
“We know that he can score a free-kick like that, know what he’s capable of. You can see his passion and how much he feeds off our supporters.
“He knows what we need from him, he’s understands what it’s about and that’s why three million people love him to pieces. He deserves all that.”
Coleman was just an enthusiastic in his praise of Jonny Williams, who justified his surprise selection by again showing how suited he is to the greater thought required for international football as opposed to the club game.
“He loves international football. Some do well domestically, but the international stage is too much for them. Not Jonny.
“He was brilliant today. He’s not the biggest but he epitomises us when we’re at our best. He empties when he puts the shirt on. That’s why the fans have taken to him and he’s a good, little player.
“He won free-kicks and he was a thorn in the side of Slovakia. He understands what we need, what we want, and what’s asked. He always delivers for us.
“The way we play suits Jonny and the task for Jonny is to play 20-25 games in a season for someone and then you’ll see him do well domestically. But he’s different class when he’s with us.”
The only down side for Coleman was the loss before the game of keeper Wayne Hennessey, who suffered a back spasm.
His was replaced by Danny Ward, who looked entirely comfortable winning only his third cap, but Coleman revealed Hennessey may struggle to be fit for the remaining matches in the tournament.
“He’s missed the first game and he’s devastated. But we were not in a position where we could take a chance with him.
“He tweaked his back and was in no condition to play. He’s had it before and he has recovered quite quickly, so we’re hoping over the next 24-48 hours we will monitor it and see. Hopefully, he can play some part.”
