Cymru 1-0 Montenegro
October 14th 2024, Cardiff City Stadium
Stephen @StephenJBaker takes a look back at Bellamy’s much changed team and a first victory in Cardiff for the new manager.
The undefeated Bellamy era entered its fourth game on a misty, drizzly Cardiff evening. Having played in torrential rain and freezing conditions in the last two matches, this was a blessed relief for players and fans alike.
Bellamy caused a surprise before the match with his Starting XI, making seven changes from the 2-2 draw against Iceland on Friday. Brennan Johnson and Jordan James were suspended after picking up bookings on Friday night were the only enforced changes. Ben Davies, Neco Williams, Joe Rodon in defence kept their place along with Harry Wilson. Mark Harris made his first start for Cymru.
From the start this new look Cymru team were on the front foot, attacking immediately. All the action took place in the Montenegro half, where Cymru really should have taken advantage before the half an hour mark.
With only a handful of away fans, there was a strange atmosphere in the ground. And a lack of singing from the usual song book meant that despite almost total dominance by Cymru it was a quiet evening.
The stadium did come to life after 30 minutes, when after a long build-up David Brooks shot from 20 yards out, forcing the Montenegro keeper to push the ball out for a corner. As with every restart tonight, it was taken quickly and the resulting short corner saw Harry Wilson take the ball into the corner of the box, where he performed a Hal Robson-Kanu turn only to be brought down by the Montenegro defender. After a brief pause that seemed like hours the referee pointed to the spot, awarding Cymru their first penalty since the World Cup when Gareth Bale equalised against America. Harry Wilson stepped up to the spot, where after a delay that made the previous pause seem lighten fast, he slotted the ball away to the keepers right, sending him the wrong way.
In Harry Wilson’s last ten games for Cymru he has now scored five and created five goals. The Fulham midfielder is in amazing form and the moment, stepping into the big shoes left by the injured Aaron Ramsey.
Cymru spent the rest of the half attacking but not increasing their lead. Montenegro never troubling the Cymru goals. A second goal in the half would have killed off the game unlike Friday night.
Montenegro started the second half by making four changes that seem to bring them to life, making Y Wal Goch worried that this was going to another second half where we would rue missed chances in the first half.
In the 59th minute Craig Bellamy made his first change and after 40 days and 40 nights in the international wilderness, Joe the Redeemer made his return replacing David Brooks and looked like he had never been away.
Despite Montenegro playing a lot better after all the changes the rest of the second half went the way of the first, Cymru kept searching for the second goal to put the game to rest but unlike in previous matches they did keep a clean sheet. The much-changed line-up produced another victory for the undefeated Craig Bellamy. With group decider against Türkiye next month things are looking good for Bellamy and his ever-improving team for the final two games of the Nations League and then ahead to the World Cup qualifiers.