Soccer

This was really good – Wales boss Craig Bellamy finds positives in Iceland draw

The Dragons led 2-0 at half-time before being pegged back.

Craig Bellamy saw his Wales side lose a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Iceland
Craig Bellamy saw his Wales side lose a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 against Iceland (Ben Birchall/PA)
By Phil Blanche, PA, Reykjavik

Craig Bellamy remained upbeat after Wales surrendered a two-goal interval lead to draw their Nations League tie in Iceland.

Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson rewarded some incisive first-half approach play to put Wales in command on a freezing night in Reykjavik.

But Wales were hanging on at the end after Logi Tomasson scored and then forced Danny Ward into an unfortunate own goal at his near post inside three second-half minutes.

Orri Oskarsson smashed the crossbar from 20 yards and Jon Thorsteinsson struck a post as Wales rather fortuitously extended their unbeaten Nations League start to three games.

Wales boss Bellamy said: “I was really pleased. I enjoyed it. I’m a big fan of Iceland so I knew it was going to be a difficult game.

“Of course we were 2-0 up by half-time but my words were: ‘This is going to be a long half’. A very good manager (Age Hareide), we knew being 2-0 down they were going to throw more men at the press because they had to.

“How were we going to find the solutions? Because the solutions were there, but it’s being able to find them at the time.

Kieffer Moore controls the ball in front of Iceland’s Johann Berg Gudmundsson in Reykjavik (Arni Torfason/AP)
Kieffer Moore controls the ball in front of Iceland’s Johann Berg Gudmundsson in Reykjavik (Arni Torfason/AP) (Arni Torfason/AP)

“There’s a lot to benefit us, especially the second half. It allows us to coach more, it builds a library in the players’ head: ‘Remember this situation, remember when we found this period difficult’.

“They can memorise it. This is our third game together.

“In the long run, I’m really happy. This is not me trying to sugar-coat drawing after being 2-0 up, it really isn’t.

“What I’m telling you (reporters) I told the players. This was really good.”

Bellamy began his Wales reign last month with a 0-0 draw against Turkey in Cardiff and a 2-1 victory in Montenegro.

Brennan Johnson celebrates putting Wales ahead against Iceland (Arni Torfason/AP)
Brennan Johnson celebrates putting Wales ahead against Iceland (Arni Torfason/AP) (Arni Torfason/AP)

Iceland’s comeback deprived Wales of joint top spot in Group B4 as Turkey beat Montenegro 1-0 at home.

Turkey now lead the way by two points with Wales hoping to close the gap on Monday when Montenegro, bottom of the group and without a point, visit Cardiff City Stadium.

Johnson and Jordan James will miss out through suspension, adding to a worrying absentee list with skipper Aaron Ramsey, Ethan Ampadu and Daniel James sidelined by injury.

Bellamy said: “We’ve had two yellows which will mean a change on Monday, but it’s quite predictable due to different styles of refereeing.

“It was me learning about the players and them learning from us. It’s never good to concede, I don’t like it, we’ll look at it again.

Wales midfielder Jordan James, left, challenges Iceland’s Orri Óskarsson in their 2-2 Nations League draw in Reykjavik (Arni Torfason/AP)
Wales midfielder Jordan James, left, challenges Iceland’s Orri Óskarsson in their 2-2 Nations League draw in Reykjavik (Arni Torfason/AP) (Arni Torfason/AP)

“I felt momentum played a big part. It’s about us understanding when to take the sting out the game, which will come.”

Iceland are a point behind Wales at the halfway stage of the campaign and host Turkey on Monday.

Manager Hareide said: “Football is a crazy sport sometimes. I have to praise the team that we lifted ourselves and came back in the second half and played really good football.

“We should have won it, and that is the only disappointment at the end.”