Ramsey double helps Wales thrash Belarus

Wales were much the better team against Belarus, in a game which saw Gareth Bale make his 100th appearance but it was Aaron Ramsey who was the star.

Action: It might have been Gareth Bale's 100th appearance for Wales, but Aaron Ramsey was the main man. It took just two minutes for him to get on the scoresheet when he was the first to react after Syarhey Chetnik could only parry Ben Davies well-struck effort. Ramsey had the easiest of finishes.

Wales controlled the game early on and doubled the lead in the 20th minute when Neco Williams sneaked a shot past Chetnik on the goalkeeper's near post. The Belarusian should have done much better and had to watch as the Liverpool player's effort squirmed through.

That lead was comfortable enough for Wales to take their foot off the pedal after an exciting start and with the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu on yellow cards, it was important not to make any silly mistakes.

Gareth Bale – who has struggled for fitness this season and not played since September – was replaced at half-time by Brennan Johnson. Despite his milestone, the Real Madrid man never looked completely comfortable.

Wales started the second period in a similar way to the first, with an Aaron Ramsey goal. Ruslan Yudenkov accidentally handled the ball in the area and Ramsey's penalty was as cool as you like, the Juventus player waited for Chetnik to move first and slotted the ball in the other direction.

One of those yellow cards did come to haunt Wales in the end. Ampadu was booked for the way he jumped up for a header, leading with his elbow. That means he'll miss the important game against Belgium on Tuesday.

Ben Davies, wearing the captain's armband after Bale's departure, finally got his first goal for Wales in his 68th appearance when he nodded home from a corner with the Belarusian goalkeeper once again not covering himself in glory.

©Getty / Richard Heathcote

There was a lovely moment in the 85th minute as the Cardiff City stood in appreciation of the late Gary Speed, who managed his final game with Wales exactly ten years ago.

Belarus had offered virtually nothing all game but scored the goal of the game when substitute Artem Kontsevoy cut inside from the left and thundered a shot from distance past Danny Ward. But Wales hit back almost immediately when Connor Roberts got a touch on a Harry Wilson free-kick to make it 5-1, it could be an important goal if goal difference is needed to separate Wales and the Czech Republic.

There was still enough time for Rob Page to give goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey another appearance to take him up to 98 for his country, another nice touch on what was a comfortable night for Wales.

Big Picture: Wales were already guaranteed a play-off place in a bid to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. But this win means that they have a higher chance of being one of the seeded teams and getting a much more favourable draw. The Czech Republic play Estonia next while Wales face group-leaders Belgium who have nothing to play for.

Man of the Match: Aaron Ramsey was at the heart of everything Wales did, showing great instincts for his first goal and easily dispatching his penalty. The two full-backs Connor Roberts and especially Neco Williams also deserve a mention – both caused a lot of problems for Belarus.

SGÔR TERFYNOL 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 5-1 🇧🇾

A five star display from Cymru!#WALBLR | #TogetherStronger pic.twitter.com/s2J0FebZos

— Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@Cymru) November 13, 2021