Battling Wales beaten

The Welsh youngsters produced a spirited display and were more than a match for the Euro 2008 semi-finalists, who took the lead after 36 minutes when the excellent Andrey Arshavin created a fine goal for Igor Semshov, despite some impressive early play from the hosts.

Wales forced their way back into the game when defender James Collins scored on the near post from Aaron Ramsey's corner, before Sergei Ignashevich belted home a free-kick with 18 minutes left and Roman Pavlyuchenko added a third in the closing seconds.

Wales boss John Toshack had been critical in Wales' last match in Montenegro of the lack of adventure from his full-backs. Not this time, though. Sam Ricketts was a constant threat on the right, and his first-time cross on the run was nodded down by Brian Stock for David Edwards, with Igor Akinfeev scooping the ball off the Wolves man's toes.

Edwards went close again with a diving header from another Ricketts cross, before Arshavin's ball for Vladimir Bystrov produced a near-post shot which Danny Gabbidon almost turned into his own net.

And Wales found themselves behind after 36 minutes when they were cut open by the brilliance of Arshavin. His instinctive turn and pass picked out Semshov's run, the Dynamo Moscow man having managed to lose Stock before firing an angled shot into the far corner.

There was still plenty of fight in the Welsh side, and Craig Bellamy started the second period with a couple of high-speed runs which caused danger in the box. And from one such run, Bellamy earned a corner from which Wales levelled the score.

It came on 54 minutes with Ramsey firing the corner into the near post for Collins to force past Akinfeev for his second goal for his country.

Russia sent on Tottenham striker Pavlyuchenko for Semshov after 70 minutes, and two minutes later they regained the lead. Alexander Kerzhakov went down for what looked a soft free-kick against Gabbidon a yard outside the box, and Ignashevich drove the free-kick straight through the wall and past Wayne Hennessey.

Chris Gunter was booked for taking a free-kick too quickly in the closing minutes, before Pavlyuchenko's last-minute strike - following poor play in defence from the hosts - gave the scoreline a flattering look.