Wales ended a draining international window with a 1-0 defeat to Denmark in the Nations League, as Rasmus Højlund’s second-half penalty proved decisive after Danny Ward’s error.
The result left Wales third in Group A4, though head coach Craig Bellamy was later told that Portugal’s comeback win over Norway meant his side would remain above Norway on head-to-head record. “That’s actually quite nice,” Bellamy said. “That’s brightened up a real rubbish moment.”
Ward’s costly mistake
Ward had kept Wales in the game with a superb right-hand save to deny Gustav Isaksen, but then conceded a clumsy penalty. Ben Cabango passed back to the goalkeeper, whose miskick fell to Isaksen, and Ward brought the Lazio forward down. Højlund sent Ward the wrong way, slotting into the opposite corner.
The defeat meant Wales missed out on a first clean sheet since beating Liechtenstein last November.
Bellamy’s squad concerns
Bellamy said it was impossible to field the same XI given four matches in 11 days, with Daniel James the only change as Brennan Johnson came in. Ben Davies started a fourth successive game, while Ward played his fourth game for Wales this window, compared to just one for club side Wrexham this season.
“We started well and then as the game unfolded, the intensity started to drop for us,” Bellamy said. “We couldn’t sustain the intensity, we couldn’t get the energy up enough to be able to have a bigger say in the game. It was a touch of reality.”
Ward’s heroics before the error
Ward’s first real save denied Højlund early in the second half. His second was even better, as Isaksen’s looping header looked destined for the bottom corner until Ward pushed it onto the post. At that point, Ward was Wales’s hero.
Bellamy is hopeful Joe Rodon will return from a hamstring injury for next month’s trip to Oslo and the home game against Portugal.
