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Wales back in World Cup qualifying contention - Darcy Blake

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Darcy Blake in action against Scotland's Steven Fletcher

Darcy Blake says Wales are contenders in World Cup qualifying Group A as they prepare to face Croatia.

Wales secured their first victory of the World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Scotland.

Croatia are only second behind Belgium on goal difference and unbeaten after three games.

"We're in this group, definitely. We've turned the corner and onwards and upwards from here," Crystal Palace defender Blake said.

Against Scotland in Cardiff, Wales had been trailing to a 27th-minute goal by James Morrison before Gareth Bale struck twice in the last nine minutes.

It was a much needed first win under manager Chris Coleman, with Wales now four points behind Croatia and Belgium.

And Blake hopes the victory over Scotland will propel Wales to go on a similar run to the one they had under the late Gary Speed during the latter part of 2011.

Wales won three of their final four Euro 2012 qualifiers although by then their qualification hopes had ended.

"A year ago it was a bit late [in the campaign] but now we're three games in," added the former Cardiff City player.

"Obviously we're disappointed we lost the first two games but hopefully we can get more wins under our belts, progress and let's get to Brazil."

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey will miss Tuesday's match in Osijek after picking up his second yellow card of the campaign in the win over Scotland.

Ramsey has been replaced by Wolves midfielder David Edwards, who missed the game against Scotland after his wife gave birth to their second child.

Wales have never beaten Croatia and striker Steve Morison is expecting a tough task on Tuesday evening.

But the Norwich player says Wales will travel to Croatia in confident mood on the back of their first win in the group.

"I don't think they are ever nice places to go to. They are very, very hard places to go to and get results," said the 29-year-old.

"But going there off the back of a win will make it a little bit easier.

"We have only played three games. There are a lot of games to go.

"We've got to play everyone again so if we can go on a run, you never know what might happen."

WALES SQUAD

Jason Brown (Aberdeen), Lewis Price (Crystal Palace), Owain Fon Williams (Tranmere Rovers), Darcy Blake (Crystal Palace), Ben Davies (Swansea City), Jazz Richards (Swansea City), Chris Gunter (Reading), Lewn Nyatanga (Bristol City), James Wilson (Bristol City), Adam Matthews (Celtic), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Williams (Swansea City, capt), Joe Allen (Liverpool), Andy King (Leicester City), Joe Ledley (Celtic), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), David Vaughan (Sunderland), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Simon Church (Reading), Steve Morison, (Norwich City), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), Sam Vokes (Burnley).

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64 comments

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 12:08 15 Oct 2012

    @14, well put, and totally agree.

    Most of the posts here are from bitter Scots, or bullish English trolls.

    How would it look if he came out and put a negative slant on the Croatia game? How stupid would that be? As stupid as some of the negative troll garbage written below.

    Cymru am Byth

  • Comment posted by IoT91, at 12:18 15 Oct 2012

    @11 why would any Welsh fans support Eng-ger-land? Nah, I much rather our current policy; ABE (Anyone But England)!

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 14:37 15 Oct 2012

    36 Abu Abu, out of a total of 36 posts to date on a Welsh football forum, a total of 6 of them are yours. That equates to roughly 16% of all posts on this forum are yours. Not bad for someone who is actually an England supporter? With this much interest in Welsh football, you are obviously a Welsh supporter not English.

    Repeat after me :

    Cymru am Byth

  • Comment posted by IoT91, at 13:36 15 Oct 2012

    @ABUABU,

    Errr perhaps look at your comment and Kristofferson's; you might find the answer there. Also, it doesn't help that the Brit/English media annoyingly over-hype your team every two years and try and make out Engerland are much better than they are and expect us to support them. We have our own team thanks, might be crap but are still our national team!

  • Comment posted by Gareth, at 13:29 15 Oct 2012

    Bale did not dive. People just don't want to see. Maloneys knee hits Bales right ankle on the way up as he runs across him, which makes his ankle cross his left leg. In slow motion you can see it clear as day. The knee hits the ankle and the ankle sharply changes direction. Intention or not that contact tripped Bale and there was no way he could have kept going.

  • Comment posted by billywhizz14, at 13:15 15 Oct 2012

    David_Beckhams_Latest_Haircut Dont you have Ashley Young in your squad??? POT and KETTLE spring to mind.

  • Comment posted by leachy12, at 11:43 15 Oct 2012

    I wouldn't expect anybody to say any less about their team, it's like Gerrard saying England could have won the Euros and Liverpool will get a top four finish... If players came out saying they were going to lose you'd be getting on their backs for that! I can't see Wales qualifying based on 1 win but it is only 3 games in, a (unlikely) win against Croatia is a 6 point swing...

  • Comment posted by TwoWardrobes, at 10:58 15 Oct 2012

    At least the players believe, or are trying to. If he came out and was realistic it would be far too depressing.

  • Comment posted by Big Stupots claw hammer, at 10:14 15 Oct 2012

    I hope Wales do go on and qualify and I am Scot.

    Scotland have no chance and am sick about it. Good luck to Wales all the same. We should never ever have flung that lead away regardless of the bad decision on the 2nd "goal"

    Levein out and Souness in.

    Scotland are a disgrace. They will finish bottom of the section.

  • Comment posted by sussexhge, at 10:14 15 Oct 2012

    umpteenth_time_user save 606 bitter are we? Wales are by far the better team of the two.

  • Comment posted by U15463184, at 09:00 16 Oct 2012

    I would never give up hope on Scotland qualifying - I understand Belgium are a fairly decent team with some big names, but I was not that impressed with them in Cardiff, its possibe Scotland can beat belgium, it would be very healthy for the compeition within the group too.
    Dont really think on the balance of play, Welsh didnt deserve to win against the scots.

  • Comment posted by firstoldmen, at 22:03 15 Oct 2012

    LEEKY DEFENCE !!!!!

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 21:21 15 Oct 2012

    @59 the population argument throws up some interesting statistics. Look at the following, who some may call minnows?

    Croatia pop = 4.4 m. FiFA rank = 11
    Denmark pop = 5.5 m. FiFA rank = 18
    Scotland pop = 5.2 m. FiFA rank = 56 !
    Uruguay pop = 3.3 m. FiFA rank = 7
    Wales pop = 3.0 m. FiFA rank = 57!

    Proof that a country with a small population can have a successful team?

    Why not us?

  • Comment posted by U14524556, at 21:12 15 Oct 2012

    Wales - keep your feet on the ground! you only beat Scotland by a questionable penalty and a wrongly chalked off goal against you.
    Scotland are pitiful right now, so don't get carried away.

  • Comment posted by abb243, at 20:44 15 Oct 2012

    Even after 10 mins I thought we were gonna lose this game as Wales dominated for most of the match.
    Personally I hope this is the kick up the backside us Scots need to realise we are falling behind most European countries and this is our national sport (It's number 2 in Wales and they have a smaller population!) Time for the SFA to sort scottish football starting at grass roots and working up.

  • Comment posted by U15288864, at 20:29 15 Oct 2012

    Belgium looking like they have got a top team in the making, Serbia and Croatia decent enough, Wales have got a fight on their hands to compete with this lot.

  • Comment posted by U15405365, at 20:04 15 Oct 2012

    Oozing positivity you lot, and you wonder why we are so venomous towards the English. At least we have no past glories that most of us can't even remember, to go on and on and on (yawn) and on about....

  • Comment posted by Ryan1356, at 19:40 15 Oct 2012

    Blake is deluded if he thinks Wales will go through ahead of croatia, belgium or even serbia. Wales must be one of the worst international teams I have ever seen (apart from Bale) other than Scotland who are even worse.

  • Comment posted by Owain ap Gruffudd, at 18:01 15 Oct 2012

    @53.
    "Without reading the article I assume Blake means we're back in contention not to finish last?"

    That is pure class, you post on a forum commenting on something you haven't read? Did you just read the first line. Lol. Brilliant.

  • Comment posted by Campbell g, at 17:28 15 Oct 2012

    Breaking News - Aaron Ramsay will miss the crucial qualifier in Croatia owing to suspension.Chris Coleman has acted quickly and drafted Tom Daley into the squad.The Wales manager stated that Aaron will be missed but hopefuuly not too much as Tom Daley is of a similar style of play!!

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