There was to be no joyful World Cup send-off for Wales as Karol Swiderski’s second-half goal meant Rob Page’s team joined England in suffering relegation from Europe’s top tier.
Wales will be alongside Gareth Southgate’s men in Nations League B for the tournament’s next edition. Needing a win to stay in League A, Wales were denied by Karol Swiderski’s excellent goal early in the second half – a rare moment of class in a poor game. The closest the home side came was when Gareth Bale’s header hit the bar in stoppage time.
Wales’ campaign was complicated by their World Cup play-off against Ukraine, which fell during their Nations League fixtures. Page was understandably keen to preserve his best players for that game, and his decision was justified by the 1-0 win.
Poland’s Karol Swiderski celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal against Wales
Swiderski finally broke the deadlock midway through the first half as his side claimed victory
Wales captain Gareth Bale looks dejected after his side fell behind in the Nations League clash
But the second string sides could not get the results required and two defeats to the Poles have proved decisive. Wales have now gone five matches without a victory – hardly the build-up they were looking for as they prepare for their first World Cup since 1958 and only the second in their history.
Bale completed 90 minutes for the first time in more than a year but the skipper had a quiet game and still looks some way short of his sharpest. Wales must hope he gains it in the next two months playing for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
Whatever had happened here, Wales fans know that the really exciting football is still to come. In two months’ time, they will open their World Cup campaign against the United States, before their second fixture against Iran and a ‘Battle of Britain’ against England on November 29.
Their qualification for Qatar is testament to the outstanding work from Page, their recent run notwithstanding. They were missing key men here, with Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Harry Wilson injured and Chris Mepham and Ethan Ampadu suspended. And to put their achievement into context, how about this for a statistic: the last goal Wales conceded at the World Cup Finals was scored by a 17-year-old Pele, with his first international goal.
Swiderski applied a cool finish after being teed up beautifully by Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski gestures to the Poland fans after helping his team take the lead on the night
Bale was included from the off and in the Poland team was Robert Lewandowski, one of Europe’s greatest strikers of the last decade.
Despite their presence, it was shapeless first half notable for moments of farce rather than quality.
The first was when Bale’s hairband came loose and he spent the next minute trying to tie it again while attempting to close down the Poland defenders at the same time. How the home crowd chuckled at that, though they were not laughing when Wayne Hennessey nearly scored a ludicrous own-goal five minutes before half-time.
The goalkeeper moved to control Joe Rodon’s backpass but took his eye off the ball, which flicked his studs and rolled back towards the goalline. Hennessey managed to retrieve the situation just in time, and was clearly still shaken moments later when he nearly made a hash of Piotr Zielinski’s rising effort.
Earlier, Connor Roberts and Nicola Zalewski were engaged in a running battle down the Wales right, with Poland upset at Roberts’ physical approach, and Roberts convinced the Roma player was seeking to get him sent off.
Fans had to wait 25 minutes for the first clear chance. Jakub Kiwior should have done better from Zielinski’s free-kick, but guided a free header straight at Hennessey. Then, shortly after the half-hour, Dan James ran on to Ben Cabango’s hopeful ball forward and was twice denied by former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
The game was opening up slightly and Szczesny again rescued his team after Poland fell asleep at a throw-in and Roberts found Bale unmarked. Just after Hennessey’s blunder, Brennan Johnson cut in from the right and fired goalwards, only for his shot to clip James and go behind.
Wales manager Rob Page makes his way across the pitch following the full-time whistle
Lewandowski had endured a frustrating night yet he showed his class in one of the game’s few moments of high quality. Szymon Zurkowski, who had failed to make the most of a good chance in the first half, fizzed a ball into his path and with his back to goal, Lewandowski guided the ball delicately to his left.
It was perfectly placed to meet the run of Swiderski, who steered it confidently under Hennessey. The noisy away fans greeted the goal by lighting flares and letting off a firework, which is likely to bring punishment from UEFA.
Wales tried to respond instantly and almost did so as Johnson worked a shooting position on the angle, forcing Szczesny into another important stop. After the goal, Wales sent on Kieffer Moore to add presence to their attack and switched to a back four, but the move did not save them.
Szczesny was having an excellent game in goal and produced another fine stop with 13 minutes remaining from James’ misdirected cross, which deceived the Poland back line and nearly crept into the far corner. Wales pushed as the game wore on and nearly equalised in the closing seconds when substitute Sorba Thomas crossed for Bale to plant a header against the woodwork.
Recap the game at the Cardiff City Stadium with Sportsmail‘s live coverage.
