Wales held to flat friendly draw by Northern Ireland
Sorba Thomas cancelled out Jamie Donley's opener as Wales were held to a 1-1 draw by Northern Ireland in an uninspiring friendly encounter at Cardiff City Stadium.
Wales' Sorba Thomas has scored 10 Championship goals for Stoke City so far this season [Getty Images] Wales could only manage a draw at home to Northern Ireland in their uninspiring friendly in Cardiff. The lacklustre home side fell behind midway through the first half as Jamie Donley struck on the rebound after heading his initial effort against the post. Wales equalised less than a minute after the restart with Sorba Thomas bundling in from David Brooks' deflected shot.
Neco Williams forced substitute Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles into a decent save as Craig Bellamy's side improved, while the visitors' Eoin Toal saw a header superbly clawed away by Karl Darlow. Ultimately, however, this was a fixture nobody wanted, having to take place because both teams lost their World Cup play-off semi-finals last Thursday, against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Italy respectively. Those circumstances made for an apathetic atmosphere at Cardiff City Stadium, reflected by a lack of intensity on the field which has come to define international friendlies.
What next for Bellamy and Wales after World Cup agony? Concerns raised about Blackburn boss O'Neill's dual role Wales analysis: World Cup hangover for Bellamy's men Neither team wanted this game but, while Northern Ireland could take heart from their defeat in Italy, Wales were bereft after losing on penalties at home to Bosnia. Bellamy admitted he and his players were still processing the "heartbreak" of that defeat, and it showed in a jaded first-half performance.
Wales dominated possession – as they always do under their head coach – but there was no pace or penetration to their play, unsurprising perhaps given the physical and emotional toll of their efforts last Thursday. What was less forgivable was the sloppy defending which allowed Northern Ireland to take the lead - centre-back Ben Cabango losing sight of Donley and giving him a free header. The Tottenham Hotspur forward, who is on loan at Oxford United, flicked the ball against the post before reacting quickly to convert the rebound.
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