Filed under: Euro 2012, Football
Robert Earnshaw left red-faced, Aaron Ramsey left with the man-of-the-match champagne, while Gary Speed left Wembley brimming with hope over Wales' future.Speed was full of pride after his team pushed England all the way against Fabio Capello's team. Had Earnshaw not missed the target with an open goal in front of him, they would have earned a point.
For Wales and Speed, a point would have mattered little as they are no longer playing for Euro 2012 qualification but are looking to build for the future.
"It was unfortunate but you cannot get a better lad than Robert Earnshaw," said Wales manager Speed. "He's Wales through and through and if we had 25 like him we'd go a long way.
"If it was this time next year we might be ruing that miss but the way we played outweighs the disappointment."
Speed was right not to be disheartened by the result. His team had stuck to a rigid gameplan of stifling England before the game opened up in the final 20 minutes.
Most of their play went through Ramsey and when he was not in central midfield dictating their attacks, he was supporting a lone striker and popping up everywhere.
Gareth Bale also impressed, this time on the right flank rather than his accustomed position on the left. It meant he could cut inside and unleash shots. He also found himself through on goal but was erroneously flagged for offside.
It was a huge improvement of the game at the Millennium Stadium where England outclassed Speed's side. And from the team at Wembley, they also have David Vaughan and Craig Bellamy to return.
"I've always been certain of the direction we're going," Speed added. "The first England game came too soon. We'd only had the players for five days.
"I didn't read too much into that result or performance. The longer it goes on, the more games we have and time we have together, the more it keeps improving."
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