Radovanovic Goal Silences Travelling Wales Fans
A super striker from Serbia's Ivan Radovanovic sent Wales fans back home unhappy, after a balanced game that could have gone either way.
Jake Cassidy got another run out in the first team, but was unable to score like he did at Switzerland, in this, a more vital game for Wales.
Serbia XI vs Wales
(4-5-1)Petric; Rukavina, Ivanovic (C), Subotic, Kolarov; Radovanovic, Ignjovski, Jojic, Ljajic, Djuricic; Lekic.
Substitutes: Stefanovic, Bisevac, Tomovic, Tosic, Djurdjic, Nastasic, Tosic, Tadic, Gudelj, Matic, Tomic, Stojkovic.
Wales XI vs Serbia
(4-5-1)Hennessey; Ricketts, Collins, Lynch, Davies; Allen, Ramsey, Ledley (C), Robson-Kanu, Bale; Morrison.
Substitutes: fon Williams, Matthews, Jones, Davies, Taylor, Collison, Cassidy, Collins, Cotterill, Vokes, Myhill, Gabbidon.
The away team Wales, in a green kit, kicked off the match, against Serbia, playing in there traditional red home kit. And Wales very nearly opened the scoring following a corner from the recently fit Gareth Bale. James Collins swung a foot at the incoming ball, but Adem Ljajic smashed the ball to safety to ensure the deadlock was not broken.
Ljajic was up the other end of the field soon afterwards, but tried to be too clever, and chipped the ball wide of Hennessey's goal. The chip wasn't on, and it was silly to attempt the shot from there.
Finally, the deadlock was broken. Serbia and Manchester City fullback, Aleksandr Kolarov swung in a corner which Joe Ledley cleared to the edge of the area. Ljajic took the ball wide, before passing back to Kolarov, who once again crossed the ball into the penalty area, only for it to be headed out by James Collins. This time Ivan Radovanovic received the ball on the edge of the area, but only succeeded in flicking the ball back towards his own half. Kolarov nodded the ball back to him, and the Chievo Verona player found Ljajic out wide. This time, however, there was to be an end product from a Serbia cross. Although a poor cross from the Roma player, it found Radovanovic on the edge of the area, and the Serbian powered a header into the top corner from 18 yards out.
If not for Wayne Hennessey, it could have been 2-0 before the half time break. Liverpool midfielder Joe Allen carelessly gave the ball away to Lekic, who went on a run into the penalty area, but couldn't beat Hennessey who stayed strong to keep the ball out.
Ian Rush decided to give Cassidy another run out at half time, and also brought Collison and Taylor off of the bench. Ben Davies, Joe Allen and Steve Morrison all made way.
Serbia kicked off the second half on a high following the close shave for Wales at the end of the first half.
Kolarov almost doubled the lead midway through the second half, directly from a corner. Wayne Hennessey once again did a fantastic job to turn the ball over. Then disaster struck for Wales. Captain Joe Ledley was stretchered off of the field - but there were no more available substitutes for Rush to make. Wales were down to ten men.
Gareth Bale had the one chance to level things very late on, but after a fantastic darting run from just inside the Serbia half, he blazed the ball well over the crossbar. The full time whistle blew, and Wales were left licking their wounds. Had they taken their chances, the result could have been so different.
Elsewhere in Group 1, group leaders Belgium drew 2-2 at home to Scotland, while, unfortunately for Wales, Croatia beat Macedonia away 0-2, meaning that Wales drop down to 3rd, and out of a World Cup Playoff place.