SOCCER/Wales 2 Hungary 0: Craig Bellamy scored twice as Wales gave new manager John Toshack a winning debut with a 2-0 victory over Hungary in a friendly international at the Millennium Stadium last night.
The striker, loaned recently to Celtic by Newcastle United after falling out with manager Graeme Souness, made the most of a dreadful goalkeeping display by Crystal Palace's Gabor Kiraly.
Bellamy put Wales ahead with a 30-yard free kick in the 63rd minute, curling his shot inside the three-man wall and under Kiraly.
He added his second 10 minutes from time when he ran onto a neat flick on by midfielder Simon Davies and powered a shot from the right that Kiraly could not stop from going through his legs and creeping agonisingly over the line.
Wales midfielder Carl Robinson hit the post in the first half, while West Bromwich Albion striker Zoltan Gera had Hungary's closest chance when he clipped the crossbar just before halftime.
The Welsh have now won five of their last six friendlies, including a 2-1 win away to Hungary in March, and will be hoping this victory injects new purpose into a poor World Cup qualifying campaign.
Wales are fifth in Group Six with two points from four matches. They next have a double-header against Austria at home on March 26th and away four days later.
Hungary, fourth in Group Eight with six points from four qualifiers, meet Bulgaria next at home on March 30th.
WALES: Coyne, Edwards (Weston 49), Page, Partridge (Collins 64), Gabbidon, Ricketts, Davies, Fletcher, Robinson (S Roberts 92), Bellamy, Earnshaw (G Roberts 75). Subs Not Used: Jones. Goals: Bellamy 63, 80.
HUNGARY: Kiraly, Bodnar, Gyepes, Juhasz, Dragoner, Lipcsei (Kovacs 67), Korsos (Rosa 65), Hajnal (Leandro 58), Torghelle, Gera, Huszti, Vanczak (Kenesei 82). Subs Not Used: Szucs, Stark, Vanczak, Vincze. Booked: Dragoner. Attendance: 16,672.
Referee: C Richmond (Scotland)
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