SM
Yemen vs. Saudi Arabia: 5 hrs 2 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
WN
World Cup | Qualifiers
Oct 11, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
NM

1-0

Church (67')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Match Analysis: Wales 1-0 Macedonia

:Headline: Match Analysis: Wales 1-0 Macedonia: ID:110618: from db_amp
Sports Mole takes a closer look at Wales's 1-0 victory over Macedonia in Group A of World Cup qualifying.

Craig Bellamy played his final home international for Wales this evening as they defeated Macedonia 1-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The 34-year-old set up Simon Church to score the winning goal in the second half, which sees Chris Coleman's side move off the bottom of Group A of World Cup qualifying.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look to see if the result was fair.

Match statistics:

Wales:
Shots:
10
On target: 5
Possession: 50%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 11

Macedonia:
Shots:
14
On target: 4
Possession: 50%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

Yes. Wales were the better team throughout, although they could easily have been behind at half time. Macedonia were better after the break but the win for Chris Coleman's men is well deserved.

Wales's performance:

The took a while to get settled in the first half but once they did they created a few opportunities. Hal Robson-Kanu was a particular threat down the right, and he was denied in two penalty appeals. Replays showed that the first incident happened just outside the area, but still he was refused the free kick. The second one was a definite penalty.Aaron Ramsey stepped up to the plate in the second half and played a cracking ball into Craig Bellamy in the build-up to Simon Church's goal.

Macedonia's performance:

The visitors only looked threatening on the counter-attack in the first half. They were able to transition defence into attack at quick speed but all their moves broke down once they entered the final third. Goran Pandev was the only man who looked capable of scoring, but his finishing was found wanting.

Sports Mole's man of the match:

Aaron Ramsey: The Arsenal midfielder took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and was the driving force behind their win. He did miss a penalty late on, which will be a disappointment for him. Hal Robson-Kanu also gets a mention for his first-half performance, but he faded a bit after the break.

Biggest gaffe:

This has to go to Nikolce Noveski for his miss in the first half. He beat the offside flag and rounded Wayne Hennessey, but fired over from close range with two Welsh defenders covering the line. He should have at least hit the target.

Referee performance:

Suren Baliyan missed two fouls on Hal Robson-Kanu, one of which was a clear penalty. He finally gave one for a foul on Aaron Ramsey, but still not the best of games for the Armenian official.

What next?

Wales: Chris Coleman takes his team to Belgium for their final match on Tuesday.

Macedonia: Meanwhile, Zoran Stratev's men take on Serbia in Belgrade needing a win to have any hope of avoiding finishing bottom.

amp_article__110618 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2013-10-12 10:43:41:
html db last update - 2013-10-12 10:43:41 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .