Wales suffer Finland defeat

Captain Craig Bellamy scored a fine first-half goal to make himself Wales' fifth highest scorer of all time but the Welsh efforts drifted away in a disappointing second period.

Roni Porokara put Finland ahead in the opening minutes before Bellamy's equaliser, but defender Niklas Moisander drove home the winner with 14 minutes left.

Finland got off to the perfect start with a goal after just five minutes. Dreadful defending by Wales allowed Jonatan Johansson in on the right to skip round James Collins before seeing a low shot palmed straight out into the area by Wayne Hennessey and Porokara had the simple task of guiding the ball home from 12 yards.

Wales, though, gathered themselves after some more shaky defending, to strike back with an equaliser after 17 minutes.

Gareth Bale sent David Vaughan racing down the left, and when the low cross arrived in the box, Bellamy had spun away from Sami Hyypia to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen from close in.

Three minutes after the break, Bellamy was left clutching his left knee following a late challenge by Hannu Tihinen.

The Serbian referee Milorad Mazic booked the Zurich defender, did not give a free-kick and then cautioned Bellamy for dissent which means he will miss Wednesday's final group match in Liechtenstein.

Wales had done little in the second half to take any positive control, sitting back and inviting pressure. And they were punished after 76 minutes. Full-back Moisander was in far too much space on the left of the box when Sparv played him in.

Collins hurled himself into a challenge and was left skidding on his back as the defender flicked the ball away from him before driving an angled shot into the far corner, evading Bale on the line.