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| Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey provided the goals to beat Andorra |
THEY had a bit of a "hwyl" down in Cardiff last night. A bit of a do - a celebration, you see.
There was a band playing - the Super Furry Animals - but actually it was the belting out of "Land of My Fathers" by the crowd that really made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
They had, after all, waited 57 years for this night. Not since Sweden in 1958 have Wales made the finals of a major international tournament. So this was a special celebration.
They had in fact been celebrating in Cardiff - and everywhere else in the Principality- since Saturday night, when despite the 2-0 defeat in Bosnia, Chris Colemen's side had ended all those years of agony and frustration, thanks to Israel losing to Cyprus. "I've not stopped smiling since then," one veteran of too many bitterly disappointing campaigns said before kick off.
So then they came back home last night for the real party, and 33,000 turned out, though the Welsh FA could have sold many more tickets. Cardiff was chilly - but it was buzzing. This is a new era for Welsh football.
Andorra, where this triumphant campaign for Coleman and his men began, thirteen months ago - and where, let's not forget, Wales were ominously a goal down after just six minutes - turned up to be the irritants, or maybe the cabaret.
But one defeat in nine games has earned this Wales team what none since Cliff Jones, John Charles, Ivor Allchurch and co had managed since that summer of 1958 in Sweden had been able to. Even the great Ian Rush, giving interviews pitchside before kick off.
Twice against Scotland, in 1977 and 1985, then in 1993 against Romania and ten years later against Russia - each time Wales fell at the final hurdle, for all the favour, all the passion. This time, at long last, they had made it.
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| Chris Coleman has yet to confirm whether he will stay beyond Euro 2016 |
The Andorran team went down to Sports Direct in Cardiff city centre during the day, taking pictures of themselves with rugby balls. On the pitch they proved stubborn, determined party-poopers, despite having defender Victor Moreira carried off after a nasty clash of heads with James Chester after only three minutes.
The Andorrans predictably sat back in numbers. Gareth Bale, who had scored six of Wales nine goals in the campaign and set up two others, was, as ever, everywhere. One shot was saved, another free kick whizzed just wide.
Andorra's overworked goalkeeper Ferran Pol saved from Aaron Ramsey and Sam Vokes - but it was Arsenal man Ramsey who finally broke the deadlock five minutes after half time. Ashley Williams header was pushed away, and Ramsey buried the rebound. Relief all round.
Bale grabbed the second goal – and his seventh of Wales’ 11 in this campaign – when Ben Davies crossed and he fired home from 10 yards four minutes from time.
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