Italy survive Welsh encounter

Wales gave Italy a scare in their UEFA European Under-21 Championship match, while Turkey and Switzerland recorded excellent wins.

Little hope
The Welsh had not won at U21 level for more than five years and had been given little hope of breaking that run against a highly-rated Italian team at Ninian Park tonight. The hosts took a spectacular early lead through Jamie Tolley, but second-half strikes from Giuseppe Sculli and substitute Gaetano D'Agostino were enough to give Italy a 2-1 victory.

Rousing encounter
It was a rousing Group 9 encounter in wet conditions, with Italy looking for their third straight win in the competition so far against a Welsh side without victory in 25 internationals. Tolley opened the scoring on five minutes with a 20-metre left-foot drive after excellent approach play.

Full advantage
However, the Italians found a leveller just eight minutes after the break. Wales failed to clear Andrea Gasbarroni's in-swinging corner and Sculli took full advantage to score. Italy secured all three points from the penalty spot on 80 minutes. Michael Price sent Matteo Brighi sprawling and D'Agostino kept his nerve to beat goalkeeper James Brown.

Gentile surprise
Italy coach Claudio Gentile was surprised by the Welsh approach to the game. "We didn't expect Wales to start the match with such intensity," he said. "We were surprised in the beginning of the match but we had a good reaction."

Finns draw
Wales coach Jimmy Shoulder said: "We performed very well, especially because we were competing against one of the best sides in Europe. Only two individual errors from us gave them the goals." The other Group 9 match saw Finland move to seven points with a creditable 3-3 draw in Yugoslavia.

Jeffers hat-trick
Turkey were 4-2 winners at home against Portugal in Group 7 to take a stranglehold on the section. They now have three wins from three, although England kept up the pressure with a 3-1 home victory against F.Y.R. Macedonia. Arsenal FC striker Francis Jeffers hit a hat-trick to add to his two goals on Saturday against Slovakia. Jeffers now has 12 goals in 12 matches for the U21 side. "It was important that we didn't get complacent and it was a good result," he said.

Swiss fightback
Switzerland came back from the shock of going 2-0 down in the first eight minutes to win 3-2 against Group 10 rivals the Republic of Ireland in Kilkenny. Pascal Cerrone gave the Swiss hope just before the interval and the fightback was completed by Alain Rochat and Johann Vonlanthen.

Dutch point
In Group 3, the Netherlands picked up their first point with a 1-1 draw in Austria, that moves the hosts on to seven points from three games. Group 1 leaders France, one of the favourites for the competition, recorded their third straight win by beating hosts Malta 3-0. A goalkeeping error allowed Florent Sinama Pongolle to put the French in front on 30 minutes before Habib Bamogo and Anthony le Tallec scored in the last eleven minutes.

Greece victory
Tamas Kabanov's goal seven minutes from time rescued a Group 6 point for Ukraine in Northern Ireland while Greece pushed ahead at the top with a 2-1 victory at home against Armenia. In Group 8, Belgium made it two wins from two by winning 1-0 in Estonia.

Romania bounce back
In Group 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina ended Norway's 100 per cent record with an excellent 0-0 in Drammen, while Romania halted a two-game losing streak with a 2-0 victory in Luxembourg. Finally, Hungary picked up their first Group 4 points with a 4-1 home win against San Marino.