Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Bale from hero to zero
WALES’ World Cup qualification hopes were dented by a 0-0 draw against Estonia in Cardiff.
Estonia, ranked a lowly 110th in the world and sandwiched between Guinea-Bissau and North Korea, were bottom of Group E having conceded 15 goals in three games.
But Wales failed to break down stubborn visitors on a night when even skipper Gareth Bale, who was winning his 99th cap, was unable to rescue them and Belgium increased their lead at the top of the group with a 1-0 win over Belarus.
Bale had scored a hat-trick, including a stoppage-time winner, as Wales beat Belarus 3-2 in World Cup qualifying on Sunday.
The Real Madrid forward came as close as anyone to breaking the deadlock before a 21,624 crowd as fans returned to the Cardiff City Stadium in large numbers for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bale’s point-blank header was brilliantly saved by Estonia’s Arsenal teenager Karl Jakob Hein before the Real Madrid forward headed against a post late on as Wales pressure intensified.
Midfielder Joe Allen expressed his frustration after Wales had dropped two home points.
Allen told Sky Sports: “We set our standards and targets to win a game like this at home.
“We should have taken at least one of those chances and now we have to go and win other games.
“They defended for their lives but it’s a night we’re going to be disappointed that we haven’t picked up three points. We’ve got to dust ourselves off, come back after playing for our clubs and get the points in the next games.”
Skipper Bale felt Wales paid the penalty for failing to take their chances.
He told Sky Sports: “I felt we played well.”