BBC News | Football | Wales hit new low

BBC News Online: Sport: Football

Saturday, October 9, 1999 Published at 23:35 GMT 00:35 UK

Wales hit new low

Wales hit new low
Wales 0-2 Switerzerland

Wales' roller-coaster Euro 2000 campaign ended in the depths of disappointment as they slumped to a home defeat against fellow-failures Switzerland.

Both teams were already out of contention for the European Championship play-offs but the Swiss still managed to raise the spirit for a comfortable away win.

Wales on the other hand played like a team trying to get rid of another manager, not hang onto a new one.

Bobby Gould quit the job after Wales' 4-0 Euro 2000 qualifier defeat against Italy and his temporary replacement Mark Hughes was desperate for the victory which would cement his claims to be appointed full-time boss to the national side.

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Instead the Welsh committed two defensive errors which handed the visitors two soft goals in front of barely 5,000 spectators in the unusual setting of Wrexham, Cardiff being fully booked due to the Rugby World Cup.

In the first-half Alexandre Rey was allowed to head in unchallenged from a corner, and in the second Wales were left standing by a rapid Swiss break which culminated in Patrick Buhlmann backheeling a stunning second.

Wales were a little weakened by injury.

There was no Ryan Giggs - but that is nothing new for the Manchester United winger - and other injuries saw a recall for Everton's John Oster and a new cap for Mark Delaney.

But the Swiss were missing their two best players - Stephane Chapuisat and Ciriaco Sforza - yet still managed to outshine Robbie Savage and Gary Speed in the midfield.

It was a home-coming for Hughes, who learnt his football in North Wales, but he will have an anxious wait until Thursday when the Football Association of Wales will consider the long-term options for the post.

Teams:
Wales: P. Jones, Delaney, Barnard, Page, Coleman, Savage, J. Robinson, Saunders, Blake, Speed, Oster.
Subs: Trollope, C. Robinson, Symons, Hartson, Roberts, M. Jones, Crossley.
Switzerland: Zuberuhler, Haas, Di Jorio, Henchoz, Hodel, Vogel, Sforza, Jaquet, Rey, Jeanneret, Buhlmann.
Subs: Pascolo, Wolf, Wiss, Comisetti, Muller.
Referee: S Papadakos (Greece)

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