Monday 13 October 2014 23:06, UK
Chris Coleman is delighted to see Wales getting 'greedy' for points as they dug deep to claim a 2-1 victory over Cyprus.
Goals from David Cotterill and Hal Robson-Kanu had the hosts in control early on at the Cardiff City Stadium on Monday.
They were, however, to let the visitors pull one back through Vincent Laban and had Andy King shown a straight red card just two minutes into the second half.
We’ve got a lot of work to do, we know that, but they deserve a big pat on the back for what they have achieved. And we’re not walking down anyone else’s path, we’re walking down our own path – we’re making a new path.
Wales had to show that they are deserving of a standing at the top of European qualifying Group B, and did just that as they stretched their unbeaten start to three matches.
Asked afterwards if he was more nervous on the touchline than he was letting on, national coach Chris Coleman told Sky Sports: “Absolutely, my heart was jumping out of my chest. When I saw the red card, I thought that’s going to kill us.
“We went 2-0 up and were cruising and should be three or four up, really. We got a bit sloppy. I think we thought it was going to be a rout, but these games you have to kill them off.
“We got to half-time and said, ‘Let’s set our stall out and be calm’, but with the red card so early on you think it’s not going to be our night. But credit to our players.
“We’re greedy now, we want the points, we want to get them no matter what we have to do to get them, and we’ve done that. It was a great three points.”
On becoming more dogged and difficult to break down, Coleman added: “We never had that in the last campaign. I thought we were too soft in the last campaign.
“We probably played better football in the last campaign, in a lot of games, sometimes it came off for us and we won, but we were too open and gave sloppy goals away – we weren’t difficult to beat and when we went behind we couldn’t get back.
“We’re a different group of people this time. The group has really matured, a lot of those that have been around a while have really matured and the younger ones have got belief.
“The togetherness is incredible. If we didn’t have that, we wouldn’t have won the game tonight.”
Wales will get another opportunity to judge how far they have come in their next outing, when they travel to Belgium, but Coleman says his players are looking forward to the challenge.
He said: “We’re doing okay, we’re up there. If you had said at the start after three games we’d be top of the league, that’s what we’ll take.
“The next game is a great game for us, away to the fancied team, but there is a lot of belief in this group.
“That’s one defeat in eight, we haven’t lost here for a year. These players, they need a pat on the back.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, we know that, but they deserve a big pat on the back for what they have achieved. And we’re not walking down anyone else’s path, we’re walking down our own path – we’re making a new path.”
