Wales back in World Cup qualifying contention - Darcy Blake
Last updated on .From the section Football

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Ramsey has been replaced by Wolves midfielder David Edwards, who missed the game against Scotland after his wife gave birth to their second child.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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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
Repeat after me :
Cymru am Byth
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!
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.
Dont really think on the balance of play, Welsh didnt deserve to win against the scots.
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?
Scotland are pitiful right now, so don't get carried away.
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.
"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.