It isn’t surprising with certain elements of the Wales support wanting immediate resolution to a history of failed competition attempts that abuse towards players and the head coach followed last nights loss to Bosnia & Herzagovina.

Liam Cullen was singled out, he didn’t play well but some of the reasoning was flawed in more of a club rivalry point of view than anything else. We replied in kind loving the hour or two we spent cajoling angry fans and questioning their knowledge and commitment to their home nation. But then that’s just banter which between fans is acceptable, funny and in some cases improves the environment.

You have to be thick skinned as Craig Bellamy most certainly had to be post match yesterday evening.

Those of us who have ‘endured’ Wales games home and away over many years know the script to an extent. Wales could have put this game away well before the undercooked Liam Cullen and Mark Harris entered the fray, There’s even alleged followers of the national team who can’t recall two years ago in the Euro qualifiers where the national side also went the same way with Dan James missing a penalty in the shoot out against Poland. He then became a ‘Jack Bastard’ (below) even though he was at Leeds at the time and is from Hull. A Swans academy graduate though, something only Cardiff can boast with the Swans in Wales. Much of the squad over time hasn’t been purchased on huge salaries. They come from the academies of the big two in Wales. Joe Rodon has suffered the same fate as well. Connor Roberts, Ben Davies also come in for similar treatment. But only in the damp and dark environment of social media.

⚽️ Rhys Clayton
It was almost redemption. Five minutes from that redemption for Dan James, two years to the day in which he missed his penalty against Poland in the Euro 2024 qualifier final. That was Wales' first ever penalty shoot-out. To lose one shoot-out at home for a major tournament would be misfortune, to lose two seems like carelessness.

That James goal was incredible, one of the best goals I have ever seen live. Going back to his Swans days, shooting was never his forte. He is a curious player, capable of great skill but also frustration. The strike was spontaneous and unexpected, a shot to nothing as he advanced all alone.

But let's go to the beginning. Cardiff city centre was already full of bucket hats and red jerseys from around 3 o'clock. A large group of Bosnia fans, all clad in black hoodies, were drinking outside the Duke of Wellington pub at the bottom of The Hayes. They would later be escorted to the ground by a heavy police presence, letting off flares as they went, as they did in the ground at times. (Editors note : Flares and fireworks allowed whilst Wales supporters had plastic bottle caps seized outside the ground)

A few hours later, we took our seats in the packed stadium. Tickets had sold out immediately after sale, and it is events like that why the FAW have spoken about expanding the stadium. A typically rousing a cappella anthem was followed by a more nervous atmosphere once the game started, though the Bosnia fans chanted throughout the 120 minutes.

The first-half was fairly even, with Bosnia happy to sit deeper and Wales ended with 68% possession to that point. The trigger-happy referee was highlighted before the game, and Bosnia indeed picked up three yellows in the first half, while we had intensity but good discipline. Of the four attackers, Brennan Johnson mainly stayed left; Dan James, the excellent Harry Brooks, and Harry Wilson interchanged freely. I would say we edged the half, but our xG of only 0.09 to that point shows the lack of clear-cut chances, and how wonderful Wilson's delicious looping, curling strike from the top corner of the box was.

The second-half started in a similar vein but then from the middle of the pitch Benjamin Tahirovic inadvertently plays the ball backwards, James nods it forward between two Bosnian defenders, and unleashes his stunning strike. James left the Swans before Steve Cooper took over, but the manager has been involved in a bizarre controversy this week involving Tahirovic, his club team Brøndby, and the Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez. It was Barbarez who danced with the ecstatic fans at the end of an exhausting night.

Most Wales fans wouldn't be intimately familiar with the Bosnia squad but many could tell you Edin Dzeko from corners and crosses would be a threat. The veteran has been scoring goals recently for Schalke in the Bundesliga 2 but Wales controlled him well until that point. It is easy to see why Cardiff fans wax lyrical about Dylan Lawlor, and word is that Bellamy has already alerted Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany to the 20-year-old centre-back. He can play either side of the defence, but playing a right-footed player in the left centre-back role in such a game was a risk, which is probably why Dzeko mainly played off him.

The goal had been coming. Wales naturally sat deeper to protect their lead, but the intensity of the occasion, combined with many players lacking minutes, left the players exhausted. The four-prong attack mentioned earlier combined elegantly at times, but the second-half was crying out for a player who could be a target and hold the ball up. With Kieffer Moore injured, Mark Harris came on, and his 5 foot 11 stature could not influence the game. Without the outlet, Wales played out from the back at every opportunity, which meant Bosnia could press higher and higher, and it was only the outstanding Ethan Ampadu's excellent close control and skill receiving the ball in the deep that saved us.

Ampadu was joined by Liam Cullen in the 56th minute, but he didn't look comfortable in the centre. He was pushed forward after the equalising goal to his more regular attacking-midfield position, and could have won it in injury time when the ball fell to him in front of goal.

Sorba Thomas came on in the 84th minute for Dan James, and he added much needed energy. He hugged the left touchline, with Johnson moving more central, and beat his man numerous times on the outside, but just could not find the right final ball. So to penalties it was. The rest we know.

Bosnia are ranked 71 in the world, Wales 35. An epic occasion against Italy has gone begging. It was a painful night for Welsh football and will take some time to get over it as a footballing nation. As Bellamy said, "We're going to hurt, but there's a bright future. It's hard to think about now, even though I am trying".

Phot copyright : Rhys Clayton & Builthy. All of our photographs unless stated are solely licensed and from Reuters.