Slovakia 2 Wales 5:Craig Bellamy-inspired Wales stormed to victory over Slovakia - scoring five goals in an away match for the first time in 11 years. Bellamy's pace destroyed a pedestrian Slovakia defence and helped erase the memory of a 5-1 mauling handed out by the Slovaks in Cardiff.
It also boosted morale following the home defeat by Germany at the weekend.
They were behind early on to a Marek Mintal strike, but hit back with three goals in 20 first half minutes - two from Bellamy after Freddy Eastwood had equalised.
Mintal pulled a goal back, but Bellamy's brilliant running tore the heart out of the Slovakian defence, and a Jan Durica own goal and a last-gasp goal from Simon Davies produced the sweetest of results.
Wales lost defender Lewin Nyatanga to a back problem before the game, meaning Peterborough's Craig Morgan won his third cap in defence, while Bellamy returned after health problems with his baby daughter ruled him out of Saturday's defeat to Germany.
This 18,000 capacity stadium 40 miles outside Bratislava was not even a quarter full, enabling the 700 travelling Wales fans to more than able to make themselves heard.
Slovakia attempted to impose themselves on the game early and former Blackburn defender Vratislav Gresko caused the Wales defence plenty of problems with his crosses.
A Gresko cross helped Slovakia take a 10th-minute lead. The ball dropped to Joe Ledley, who was far too slow with his clearance, allowing Mintal the time to hook the ball past Wayne Hennessey.
Wales levelled 11 minutes later. Hennessey's long ball was played out to Ledley by Bellamy, and the Cardiff youngster atoned for his earlier mistake with a low cross that Eastwood stabbed home.
In the 34th minute Bellamy struck with a cracker. Eastwood's ball over the top was a decent pass, but the West Ham striker set off on a high speed chase from half-way, caught and passed Durica before slamming a stunning 18 yard left-footed high past Senecky.
And Bellamy struck again on 41 minutes with another outstanding finish, getting behind the defence again and lashing an acute angled drive off the underside of the bar.
Slovakia made it 3-2 in the 57th minute when Marek Cech played in Mintal, who drilled a low drive past Hennessey.
Bellamy's attempts to relieve the pressure saw him hare away on 71 minutes to send in a cross-shot that hit the inside of the far post and came back into play.
Toshack then sent on midfielder Carl Fletcher in place of Eastwood, the need to shore up midfield now obvious.
When Bellamy got onto the end of a Simon Davies pass on 74 minutes, before scampering into the box and drilling a cross into the six-yard box, Durica knocked the ball into his own net.
And a great night for Wales was capped in the last minute when Davies drilled in their fifth goal following a free-kick.
SLOVAKIA: Senecky, Gresko, Klimpl, Durica, Cech, Hamsik, Petras, Sapara, Mintal, Sestak, Holosko. Subs: Kuciak,Brezinsky, Strba, Obzera, Szabo, Sebo, Zofcak.
WALES: Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, Morgan, James Collins,Davies, Robinson, Ledley, Bale, Bellamy, Eastwood. Subs: Coyne,Fletcher, Vaughan, Crofts, Evans, Edwards, Earnshaw.
Referee: Laurent Duhamel (France)
Two goals from Efstathios Aloneftis helped Cyprus to a 3-0 win over San Marino in Nicosia last night.
Aloneftis scored in the 15th minute and the home side doubled their tally with a free kick in the 41st from Michalis Constantinou.
The second half proved a pedestrian affair with Cyprus's attacking moves breaking down and San Marino failing to trouble the home defence.
In the last minute of the game Aloneftis took a low cross from the left and, unmarked, fired home Cyprus's third goal.
