Ireland’s best opportunity had come when Robbie Keane’s perfectly timed run took him

Ireland’s best opportunity had come when Robbie Keane’s perfectly timed run took him clear on to Kinsella’s chip, but after dragging the ball wide of the goalkeeper Jorg Stiel with one touch, he was forced to swivel, and shot narrowly past the far post from an angle. Hakan’s intervention meant it was shades of the World Cup, with the Irish needing to come from behind again. After Shay Given denied Richard Cabanas with his legs, they did so with 12 minutes to play and desperation mounting. Harte swung over another cross and the left- back Ludovic Magnin, under pressure from Breen, nudged the ball past his own goalkeeper. But in the 87th minute Chapuisat split a defence still adapting to Harte’s removal and Fabio Celestini, who had only been on for two minutes, inflicted a grievous wound.REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (4-4-2): Given (Newcastle Utd); Kelly (Leeds Utd), Breen (West Ham), Cunningham (Birmingham City), Harte (Leeds Utd); Healy (Celtic), Kinsella (Aston Villa), Holland (Ipswich Town), Kilbane (Sunderland); Keane (Tottenham), Duff (Blackburn).

Substitutes: Morrison (Birmingham) for Kilbane, 62; Butler (Sunderland) for Duff, 82; Dohertyn (Tottenham for Harte, 86 SWITZERLAND (4-3-1-2): Stiel (Borussia Monchengladbach); Haas, Murat Yakin (both Basle), Muller (Lyon), Magnin (Werder Bremen); Cabanas (Grasshoppers), Wicky (Hamburg), Vogel (PSV Eindhoven); Hakan Yakin (Basle); Chapuisat (Young Boys), Frei (Servette). Substitutes: Thurre (Servette) for Frei, 71; Cantaluppi (Basle) for Wicky, 85; Celestini (Marseille) for Hakan Yakin, 85.Referee: R Pedersen (Norway).. Anyone who has followed the course of Welsh football since 1958, when the national team made its only appearance in the finals of a major championship, cannot fail to be impressed by recent developments in the Principality. Wales won the now defunct Home Championship twice during the 30s, sharing it on three other occasions.There have been some pretty good players since 1958 too, if not in enough numbers to mount a consistent challenge to Europe’s better teams.As for the idea that football in Wales has always run a poor second to rugby, attendances at home league games played by Cardiff City and the-then Swansea Town in the 50s consistently exceeded those for club rugby games.Of course, it suits the purpose of Hughes to promote the idea that football in his homeland may be about to be raised to a level never before experienced. Although Del Piero showed enough of his class to keep the Welsh defence constantly alert it was home players who stood out most in the lively proceedings.John Hartson fought bravely at the sharp end of attack, laying the ball off neatly and if Ryan Giggs had been in the mood for a more consistent contribution the Italians might have found themselves in deeper trouble. As it was a deflected free kick brought Del Piero an equaliser.Wales took up the initiative in the second half, making better use of Bellamy’s pace and the Newcastle man put his country ahead again with 19 minutes left to play outpacing the defence before rounding the goalkeeper to find an empty net. It was splendid stuff, ultimately one of the great Welsh victories..

Wales’s chances of qualifying for the finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1958 took an enormous leap with a 2-1 win over Italy at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff last night. Craig Bellamy’s 71st-minute goal took Wales to the top of Group Nine with six points from two games. Wales had taken the lead after 12 minutes through Simon Davies, although Alessandro Del Piero equalised 20 minutes later. The visitors took the lead through Hakan Yakin and it took an own goal to level the scores..