Wales' Charlie Savage launches an attack against the Czechs
Wales’ hopes of reaching the Under-21 European Championship finals are hanging by a thread after an own goal and an administration error cost them against Czechia.
Newport County’s Matt Baker turned into his own net before Vaclav Sejk scored a second on a night where Wales were depleted because of a paperwork blunder.
It saw six players made unavailable for selection – including senior international Rubin Colwill – and no reserve goalkeeper named for a game crucial to qualifying hopes.
Victory would have kept alive chances of finishing top and securing an automatic spot in next summer’s finals in Slovakia.
Instead manager Matty Jones will be left to rue a night where everything went wrong for Wales in front of watching senior captain Aaron Ramsey.
Shrewsbury’s Luca Hoole struck in added time as Wales pushed for the point that would have guaranteed a play-off place.
But their fightback was too late after Baker’s 27th-minute own goal and Sejk’s close-range effort on 50 minutes.
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The defeat does not end hopes of qualification in what would be the first time the country reached a major finals at this age grade.
But it does mean Wales – having completed their fixtures - have to now hope Czechia fail to beat Lithuania in their final game on Tuesday if they are to hold onto second in the group and a play-off place.
And they will struggle to shake the feeling of self-inflicted wounds.
Former Wales, Leeds United and Leicester City midfielder Jones was only told of administrative issue on the morning of the match and said a “vigorous review” will be conducted into what went wrong, as only players involved in last month’s win over Iceland were found to be registered able to play.
That meant six players of the current squad missing out, including Owen Beck who had only dropped down from Craig Bellamy’s senior squad the previous night.
Jones had hoped to form a siege mentality from the error and had been confident the late changes would not affect chances to create history.
Wales, initially at least, showed little evidence of the disruption.
Jones’ side dominated the opening exchanges, first going close when Joel Cotterill’s fifth minute free-kick went within a whisker of curling inside the post.
Cardiff City’s Eli King should have done better with a far-post header as the Czechs struggled to keep pace with Wales’ movement.
The visitors, though, inched their way into the contest, forcing Baker’s mistake with the first real attack of note on 27 minutes.
Czechia were afforded too much time and space with Matej Jurasek unmarked and able to control and shoot inside the box, Baker sticking out a leg to divert the off-target effort into the far corner.
Wales struggled to recover from the setback and were dealt a further blow less than five minutes into the second half when goalkeeper Evan Watts parried a shot into the path of Vaclav Sejk for a fortuitous tap-in.
Jones did his best to bring his side back into the game with a number of positive changes.
After a long period of being frustrated by the visitors’ scramble defence, Hoole’s flick in time added on had offered late, late hopes of an equaliser and the point Wales needed to be sure of the play-offs.
But, after a night of mistakes and missed chances, they must now wait to see if they can find fortune though rivals’ results.
