Allen expecting strong Welsh win

Uefa Under-21 Championship qualifying: Bosnia-Herzegovina v Wales
Venue: Grbavica Stadium, Sarajevo Date: Wed, 18 November KO: 1500 GMT

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Joe Allen has scored once in 11 Wales under-21 internationals

Joe Allen expects Wales' high-flying under-21s to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina and enter their 10-month break on top of their Group Three qualifying table.

Brian Flynn's youngsters hope to open a seven point lead from second-placed Hungary with a win in Sarajevo.

"We've a really strong squad as this is an important qualifier," said Allen.

The Hungarians visit Italy and Bosnia during Wales' time-out before hosting Wales in a potential group-decider Uefa qualifying clash next September.

Swansea City midfielder Allen played in Sarajevo in March 2008 as Wales' youngsters came back from a one-goal deficit to beat the Bosnians thanks to goals in the last three minutes from Simon Church and Ched Evans.

Reading striker Church and Sheffield United frontman Evans have since established themselves in the senior side but the pair have bolstered a strong under-21 forward-line in Sarajevo that also includes fellow A-team international Sam Vokes.

Evans has a prolific strike-rate at youth level with 13 goals in 12 games while Church is almsost as clinical as he has scored eight goals in 13 under-21 caps.

Although Aaron Ramsey, Jack Collison, Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter and Neal Eardley have withdrawn from the fixture, Flynn's strong strike-force joins fellow senior squad members Andy King, Adam Matthews, Darcy Blake and Allen in Sarajevo as Wales hope to extend their winning run to five games.

Should young Wales, without a defeat in seven, beat Bosnia - a team they defeated 2-0 at the Racecourse last month - it would put them on the verge of qualifying for the play-offs for the eight-team Uefa finals in Denmark in the summer of 2011.

"This is a big game and that is why we are taking some really good players," said Allen, as he prepares to win his 12 Wales under-21 cap.

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"We have to put expectations on ourselves to get the result and the three points to settle ourselves on top of the table."

After travelling to Sarajevo, Wales finish with important trips to Hungary and Italy.

The 10 group winners and four best runners-up - which Wales would almost certainly be one of should they win in Bosnia - will qualify for the play-off stage, with the seven winners joining hosts Denmark in the finals in June 2011.

Allen, a second-half substitute in Wales' 3-0 senior friendly win over Scotland on Saturday, is yet to play a full game this season as he missed a lot of games due to a hamstring injury.

But the 19-year-old hopes to play in Sarajevo and be ready to line up for Swansea in their Championship clash with Derby County on Friday.

"I haven't strung too many games together this season," he admitted.

"So it is a big week for me. I'll make sure I do everything right and hopefully be involved in all of the games and have three positive results."

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Wales Under-21 squad to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Wednesday 18 November, 2009:
David Cornell (Swansea City), Chris Maxwell (Wrexham), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City, on loan at Plymouth Argyle), Adam Matthews (Cardiff City), Aaron Morris (Cardiff City), Christian Ribeiro (Bristol City), Ashley Richards (Swansea City), Neil Taylor (Wrexham), James Wilson (Bristol City, on loan at Brentford), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Billy Bodin (Swindon Town), Mark Bradley (Walsall), Andy King (Leicester City), Shaun MacDonald (Swansea City, on loan at Yeovil Town), Elliott Chamberlain (Leicester City), Simon Church (Reading), Ched Evans (Sheffield United), Jake Taylor (Reading), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton Wanderers, on loan at Leeds Utd), Marc Williams (Wrexham).