Bale fires Wales to victory over Moldova

Wales' forward Gareth Bale (left) and Wales's striker Sam Vokes (right) congratulate Joe Allen (centre) after he scored the team's second goal during the World Cup 2018 football qualification match against Moldova at Cardiff City Stadium in Cardif, south Wales, on September 5, 2016. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The Real Madrid forward teed up Sam Vokes for a 38th-minute opener and then scored his 23rd and 24th international goals either side of an effort by Joe Allen, who registered his first.
  • Wales tackle Austria in Vienna in their next game on October 6.
  • Bale, 27, is now the second-highest scorer in Wales history, four goals behind former Liverpool striker Ian Rush.

CARDIFF

Gareth Bale scored two goals and created another as Euro 2016 sensations Wales crushed Moldova 4-0 in their opening 2018 World Cup qualifier in Cardiff on Monday.

The Real Madrid forward teed up Sam Vokes for a 38th-minute opener and then scored his 23rd and 24th international goals either side of an effort by Joe Allen, who registered his first.

Chris Coleman's Wales reached the semi-finals at Euro 2016 before losing to eventual champions Portugal and are seeking to qualify for their first World Cup since 1958.

Victory at the Cardiff City Stadium made Wales the early pace-setters in UEFA qualifying Group D, which also features Austria, Serbia, the Republic of Ireland and Georgia.

Wales tackle Austria in Vienna in their next game on October 6.

Bale, 27, is now the second-highest scorer in Wales history, four goals behind former Liverpool striker Ian Rush.

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey missed Wales's Euro semi-final defeat by Portugal through suspension and he was absent again against Moldova, this time due to a hamstring injury.

Wales manager Coleman made only two changes to the team that had lined up in Lyon, with Ben Davies — suspended that evening — and Vokes replacing James Collins and Hal Robson-Kanu.

Ranked 165th in the world and having never reached a major tournament, Igor Dobrovolski's Moldova accepted the role of would-be party poopers with relish.

CYNICAL FOULS

The visitors packed men behind the ball in a 5-4-1 formation and exploited Israeli referee Liran Liany's leniency by breaking up Wales's rhythm with cynical fouls.

But a flash of Bale's left boot yielded the breakthrough, the Real Madrid star whipping a glorious cross into the box from the right that Vokes steered past goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu with his head.

It was 2-0 before half-time as Stoke City new boy Allen broke his international duck in the 44th minute.

After shovelling a shot from Bale around his right-hand post, Cebanu flapped at Joe Ledley's corner and Allen clipped the loose ball through a thicket of players and into the net.

Bale added a third early in the second half, seizing upon a calamitous back-pass by Ion Jardan and racing through to loft a shot over Cebanu.

Robson-Kanu, scorer of the goal that inspired Wales's Euro quarter-final victory over Belgium, came on as a late substitute for Vokes to make his first appearance of the season.

After Cebanu had thwarted Robson-Kanu, Bale made it 4-0 from the penalty spot in stoppage time after he had been bundled over inside the box.