Wales came through a stern test to beat Azerbaijan 1-0 in their opening World Cup qualifier.
Vokes spares Toshack's blushes with late strike
Wales came through a stern test to beat Azerbaijan 1-0 at Millennium Stadium in their opening World Cup qualifier.
John Toshack's men were frustrated in the first half as they dominated possession but were unable to find a breakthrough, while they were given a scare or two at the back.
A Gareth Bale free-kick almost crept in before Azerbaijan keeper Kamran Arhayev pulled off an excellent save from Jason Koumas' 25-yard curler, but at the other end Wayne Hennessey had to be just as acrobatic to deny Branimir Subasic.
Azerbaijan continued to battle hard after the break but they conceded a penalty on 65 minutes following a foul by Rashad Sadygov on Chris Gunter.
Arhayev denied Koumas from the spot and again from the rebound, and the keeper was in inspired form with a string of stops as Wales piled on the pressure.
Fabio Luis Ramim was later sent off for the visitors and Wales managed to grab a goal seven minutes from time as Sam Vokes scrambled the ball home from close range.
Bright start
Wales started with pace, enthusiasm and plenty of neat passing. A cross delivered by Koumas from the right was plucked from the head of David Edwards by Arhayev, then Joe Ledley drove wide from 18 yards.
Tottenham's Bale surged past three men on a fine run into the box before being blocked, he felt, unfairly.
Azerbaijan replied with a 25-yard effort from Subasic, saved well by Hennessey before another effort from the same player flew over the bar.
Sasha Yunisoglu was booked for pulling back Robert Earnshaw, with Wales continuing to move forward as teenage Spurs full-backs Bale and Gunter surged down the flanks at every opportunity.
But the visitors to Cardiff were a much better side than Wales had encountered in their four previous meetings with Azerbaijan, who managed only one draw and three defeats in those games.
Ramim was a constant threat but Wales went close after 28 minutes when Bale's free-kick deceived Arhayev with Earnshaw almost reaching the loose ball. Gunter then had the rebound scooped from his toes a yard out.
Stunning save
Two minutes later Arhayev made a stunning flying save to touch away a 30-yard strike from Koumas. Edwards then eased himself into a shooting position on the edge of the box and saw his left-footed effort curl just off target.
The promise was there from Wales but the cutting edge was missing. Clearly Craig Bellamy would have been a quality asset, but he will not be available until the October games with Liechtenstein and Germany.
Azerbaijan sent on Agil Nabiyev for Djavid Huseinov at the break, with Ramim booked for using his elbow on Bale after 48 minutes, which other referees may have considered a red-card offence.
The Macedonian official, Aleksandr Stavrev, then seemed to compound the error by demonstrating exactly what he had punished.
Azerbaijan were increasingly content to sit deep and defend in depth, inviting Wales to open them up. But this was one of those days when Koumas could not find the telling passes.
Bale was booked for taking a free-kick too quickly, a split second before the referee's whistle.
Frustration
Frustration was creeping in, mistakes being made without pressure as Wales looked for inspiration.
Toshack took off Earnshaw after 61 minutes, sending on the more physical Ched Evans.
Then Koumas was booked for stupidly kicking the ball high into the empty seating after a free-kick was harshly awarded against him.
Worse was to follow after 66 minutes when Gunter was brought down in the box by Sadygov and Koumas stepped up for the penalty.
He saw his first effort blocked by Arhayev, who then did well to catch the follow-up.
Azerbaijan were reduced to 10 men a minute later when Ramim was booked for pulling back Koumas.
The referee at first looked to not realise it was the forward's second booking, but eventually the red card was produced.
Breakthrough
Next into the book was Huseinov, before Wales sent on Vokes for Edwards, another forward, as they searched for the breakthrough.
Wales pressed forward with growing desperation, and Vokes saw a fine header from Bale's cross saved brilliantly by Arhayev, who was booked for an obscure offence only seen by referee Stavrev.
But from the resulting corner Wales finally got their goal.
Bale's corner curled into the box and Vokes and Ashley Williams both went for it.
The ball broke in the six-yard box for Gunter to lunge in and Vokes to finally crack the ball home from a couple of yards.
