Vokes scores as Wales beat Azerbaijan 1-0
UEFA WCQ - Group 4
The 18-year-old Vokes scored his first international goal in the 82nd minute, just as 10-man Azerbaijan looked set to hold on for a draw.
Azerbaijan goalkeeper Kamran Arhayev put Vokes' header out for a corner, but the ensuing cross was only partially cleared and Vokes swept in the goal from close range only 10 minutes after replacing David Edwards.
"I'm very relieved," Wales manager John Toshack said. "It was very tough, a difficult game but we had most of the possession and I think if you asked most people who the man of the match was they'd say the Azerbaijan goalkeeper, which says something."
In the 64th, Wales won a penalty when Rashad Sadigov brought down Chris Gunter in the area after Wales' best move of the game.
But Arhayev saved Jason Koumas' spot kick and then blocked the second attempt when the Wigan midfielder reacted first to the rebound.
Azerbaijan immediately surrendered the initiative. Four minutes later, Fabio Luis Ramim was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for tugging Koumas' shirt.
Toshack feared the worst after Koumas' miss, but said Ramim's dismissal had given Wales a lift.
"Psychologically the opposition get a big boost when you miss a penalty," Toshack said. "We tend to drop our heads a bit, but when they lost a player that made up our minds about the substitution. I felt that we would get some chances to go and win the game and fortunately that's how it turned out."
UEFA WC Qualifying
Wales had the better of the first half but it was Azerbaijan which had the first serious attempt on goal, a 10th-minute drive from Branimir Subashic that goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey managed to keep out despite a deflection.
The closest the Welsh came to a first-half goal was in the 30th when Jason Koumas hit a 30-meter (yard) shot that was heading for the top corner until it was tipped wide by Arhayev.
Wales plays Russia in Moscow on Wednesday.
"It'll be a different game," Toshack said. "We'll go over there with the confidence we've got from getting three points behind us. I'm just delighted we've got the three points because people will think it's only Azerbaijan, but this lot have improved a lot in the last three years."
Wales: Wayne Hennessey, Chris Gunter, Gareth Bale, Carl Fletcher, Craig Morgan, Ashley Williams, Simon Davies, David Edwards (Sam Vokes, 72), Jason Koumas (Carl Robinson, 88), Robert Earnshaw (Ched Evans, 72), Joe Ledley.
Azerbaijan: Kamran Arhayev, Sasha Yunis Oglu, Nodar Mammadov (Agil Nabiyev, 45), Elvin Mammadov, Javid Huseynov (Usim Nduka, 76), Fabio Luis Ramim, Elmar Bakhshiev, Rashad Sadygov, Branimir Subashic, Samir Abbasov, Rail Melikov.
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