Wales end 57-year wait despite defeat in Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 Wales

Wales ended a 57-year wait to qualify for a major tournament despite Saturday's 2-0 defeat in Bosnia which kept alive the Balkan nation's hopes of joining them at the Euro 2016 finals.

The result left the Welsh second in Group B on 18 points from nine games, two behind Belgium who won 4-1 against Andorra to also qualify, and four ahead of third-placed Bosnia. Israel’s 2-1 defeat at home to Cyprus left them on 13 points and meant the Welsh could not be caught in the race for an automatic place at the finals in France next year.

Bosnia substitute Milan Djuric, who replaced winger Edin Visca on the hour, fired the home side ahead in the 71st minute and striker Vedad Ibisevic sealed the win in the 90th.

The Welsh, who celebrated with several hundred travelling fans, host bottom team Andorra in their final match while Bosnia will seal a playoff berth if they beat Cyprus on Tuesday.

Having made their only previous appearance on a major stage at the 1958 World Cup, Wales held their own for most of the match but were undone by a moment of poor defending. Miralem Pjanic punted a long free kick upfield from the halfway line and the ball fell kindly for Djuric to head home after it bounced over several defenders off the slippery turf.

The Bosnians were missing their top scorer Edin Dzeko, who could not shake off a knee injury, and lacked bite up front while the visitors threatened on the break with Gareth Bale giving his markers a roasting on the left flank. Although he had only just recovered from a calf injury, Bale was at the heart of every Welsh move and often dropped back to help a packed midfield stifle the Bosnian engine room.

The home side had the upper hand in the first half and came close in the ninth minute when Visca shot wide of the far post from a good position after he was put through by Pjanic. Wales nearly scored against the run of play on the stroke of halftime when Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic somehow smothered the ball under pressure from Aaron Ramsey and Neil Taylor.

With the hosts throwing more men forward after the break, Wales exploited the gaps and Bale missed a good chance when he sliced his shot wide after racing clear of a defender. The visitors came forward with more purpose after falling behind but Bosnia, roared on by a passionate home crowd in the Bilino Polje Stadium, added a second goal when Ibisevic bundled the ball home from close range after a corner.