Tuesday 14 October 2014 06:20, UK
Gareth Bale says the Wales squad are in buoyant mood after edging out Cyprus to remain on course for Euro 2016.
A 2-1 victory at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday keeps Chris Coleman’s men top of Group B, with seven points taken from their opening three fixtures.
They had to do things the hard way in their latest outing, with Andy King’s dismissal early in the second half threatening to undo all of their good work.
It’s a different feeling in the camp now, everyone’s really fighting for each other, the team spirit’s amazing and the fans, again, were unbelievable.
Wales were able to get over the line, though, with Bale – the most expensive player in world football – leading by example.
Goals from David Cotterill and Hal Robson-Kanu ultimately saw the hosts home, but it was their Galactico from Real Madrid who earned the Man of the Match award and has a nation starved of international success dreaming of what might be.
Bale told Sky Sports: “It was a great start from us again.
“We came out of the blocks firing like we wanted to, got a good start to the game. Obviously there was a little mistake off the set-piece, but you can see how much the lads wanted it.
“It’s a different feeling in the camp now, everyone’s really fighting for each other, the team spirit’s amazing and the fans, again, were unbelievable.
“You need a bit of luck sometimes. I think we showed hard work since the sending off, we worked hard as a team. Again, we covered every blade of grass and showed how much we wanted it.”
Next up for Wales is a trip to Belgium on November 16, for what will arguably be their toughest test, but Bale says Coleman’s men fear no-one and are confident they can keep the positivity flowing.
They have already taken a point off Bosnia-Herzegovina, from a 0-0 draw, and now believe that they can hold their own against the best sides on the continent.
Bale added on heading forward as group leaders: “It’s obviously a great place to be.
“I think the minimum from these two games was four points. We knew it was going to be a difficult game against Bosnia and a winnable one tonight.
“It’s a big game against Belgium and we’ll go there full of confidence.”
