Wales heading to World Cup finals after dramatic play-off win over Ukraine

Wales ended their 64-year wait to play at a World Cup by beating Ukraine 1-0 in a pulsating play-off final in Cardiff.

Gareth Bale, so often Wales’ talisman, again produced the decisive moment with his 34th-minute free-kick headed into his own net by Andriy Yarmolenko.

But Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey took the man-of-the-match honours with an outstanding display that kept the gifted Ukrainians at bay.

So, over six decades after reaching their one and only World Cup in Sweden in 1958, Wales are back at football’s global table.

And, just like at Euro 2016 in France, Wales will find themselves in the same group as England, with Iran and the United States for company.

Success was achieved in the face of the world willing Ukraine on to victory against the odds.

Russia’s invasion of the country in February, and the bloody conflict that has ensued, made Ukraine the choice of neutrals.

But, as Bale said before kick-off, Wales could not show compassion on the field and that proved to be the case when nerves were stretched to the limit.

As Ukraine’s players wilted to the floor on the final whistle, Wales celebrated after banishing the ghosts of history.

So near, so far, in the past. Gut-wrenching failures had slipped into Welsh legend since John Charles and company reached the 1958 quarter-finals before losing to Brazil and a solitary Pele goal.

Joe Jordan’s handball at Anfield in 1977, more penalty heartbreak against Scotland eight years later, Paul Bodin’s decisive spot-kick miss at home to Romania in 1993 and a 2018 defeat to the Republic of Ireland haunted Welsh memories.

This time it felt different. Bale, despite being woefully short of game-time as his Real Madrid career drew to an inauspicious close, had dragged Wales