On a remarkable night for Welsh football, Craig Bellamy’s rejuvenated Wales side achieved promotion to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League with a dominant 4-1 victory over Iceland. The result, combined with Montenegro’s stunning upset of Turkey, secured Wales the top spot in their group and avoided the need for a play-off.
The evening didn’t start smoothly for Wales, as Andri Gudjohnsen, son of Iceland legend Eidur Gudjohnsen, gave the visitors an early lead. In the 8th minute, Gudjohnsen capitalized on a chance after Leicester City goalkeeper Danny Ward had made an excellent initial save to deny Orri Oskarsson, slotting the ball neatly between Ward’s legs.
However, Wales responded brilliantly. Liam Cullen was the hero of the night, scoring twice before half-time to turn the game around. The equalizer came just after the half-hour mark, as Cullen expertly glanced a header into the far corner from Brennan Johnson’s inviting inswinging cross. On the stroke of halftime, Cullen added his second, pouncing on a rebound after Dan James’ shot was saved following a well-executed one-two with Mark Harris.
Wales extended their lead in the 65th minute through the electric Brennan Johnson. The Tottenham Hotspur winger, in red-hot form, finished with precision after Cullen played a perfectly weighted pass to send him through on goal.
Harry Wilson rounded off the scoring in style, netting Wales’ fourth with a brilliant long-range strike. The Fulham midfielder, thriving both domestically and internationally, was set up by Cullen, who showed tremendous strength and composure to hold off Sverrir Ingason and keep the play alive following a long ball from Ward.
