May
Newsfile

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Report from www.bbc.co.uk/wales
Wales' run of bad form and bad luck continued against Uklraine on Tuesday night.

But they did not look like a side who had lost their previous six matches as they showed commendable guts and commitment.

The decisive moment in a match played in driving rain came after 58 minutes when Stephan Molokutsko raced clear on the right and was brought down inside the box by Swansea goalkeeper Jason Jones.

Molokutsko got up to drive home the penalty himself.

Jones maintained after the maych that he had not made contact with the player.

But Ukraine, convincing 3-0 winners when the sides met in Swansea in March, did not have things all their own way.

Wales, captained for the first time by Manchester City's Rhys Day, started brightly.

Cardiff's Russell Earnshaw was put through by Ryan Valentine on nine minutes, but the striker saw his chip held by Maksym Startsev.

Then five minutes later Earnshaw's control and pass set up Leyton Maxwell, whose shot saved low to the keeper's right.

Jones dived at the feet of Stephan Molokutsko to save a dangerous situation and then Day's fine saving tackle kept out Armen Akopian.

Blackburn's James Thomas - setting a new under-21 record for his country of 18 caps - saw a header deflected over in the second half and then spun to strike another effort wide.

Wales sent on Matthew Williams of Manchester United and Danny Slatter of Chelsea, trying to salvage something and they were very unlucky when Maxwell smashed a 30-yarder against the bar.

At the other end Jones then made a fine diving save from Molokutsko, as Wales battled for everything.

But time ran out on Wales' young guns.

Ukraine: Startsev, Passichnichenko, Shershun, Sviderskly, Shevchuk, Bilozor, Berezovchuk, Monarev, Akopian, Molokutsko, Zapoyaska. Subs: Rudenko, Komarnitskyy, Bielik, Smalko, Skoba, Stoyan.

Wales: Jason Jones, Hillier, Price, Gabbidon, Day, Valentine, Stephen Thomas, Gibson, James Thomas, Earnshaw, Maxwell. Subs: Whitfield, Green, DeVulgt, Slatter, Tolley, Williams.

Referee: J Hlaca (Czech Republic)

Report from www.icwales.ic24.com
Wales' youngsters were very unlucky to lose to their Ukrainian counterparts in tonight's European Championship Under-21 Championship qualifier, going down to a second-half penalty.

After losing their previous six matches in a tough group, their display of guts and effort had to be commended.

Again fielding a very young team Wales did themselves proud against a much older, bigger side.

But in by far their best performance of their torturous campaign, they suffered another setback.

The decisive moment in a match played in driving rain came after 58 minutes when Stephan Molokutsko raced clear on the right and was brought down inside the box by Swansea goalkeeper Jason Jones.

Molokutsko got up to drive home the penalty himself.

But Ukraine, convincing 3-0 winners when the sides met in Swansea in March, did not have things all their own way.

Wales, captained for the first time by Manchester City's Rhys Day, started brightly.

Cardiff's Russell Earnshaw was put through by Ryan Valentine on nine minutes, but the striker saw his chip held by Maksym Startsev.

Then five minutes later Earnshaw's control and pass set up Leyton Maxwell, whose shot saved low to the keeper's right.

Jones dived at the feet of Stephan Molokutsko to save a dangerous situation and then Day's fine saving tackle kept out Armen Akopian.

On 28 minutes, the hosts lost keeper Startsev when he charged 30 yards out of his goal to block Earnshaw's run, and was carried off with an ankle injury. Vitaaliy Rudenko took over in goal.

Viyacheslav Shevchuk saw a 20-yarder stopped by Jones, before Bogdan Shershun hit the bar from 30 yards.

Two minutes from the break, Molokutsko scooped a shot over the angle from two yards from Vyacheslav Zapoyaska's cross.

Blackburn's James Thomas - setting a new Under-21 record for his country of 18 caps - saw a header deflected over in the second half and then spun to strike another effort wide.

Wales sent on Matthew Williams of Manchester United and Danny Slatter of Chelsea, trying to salvage something and they were very unlucky when Maxwell smashed a 30-yarder against the bar.

At the other end Jones then made a fine diving save from Molokutsko, as Wales battled for everything.

But time ran out on Wales' young guns.

Earnshaw - playing up front on his own against two towering defenders - deserves particular credit for his running and chasing on an exhausting pitch.