Youthful Wales saw 39-year-old keeper Paul Jones endure a nightmare on his 50th cap as Slovakia dealt the home side's Euro 2008 hopes a hammer blow.

After an early Dusan Svento goal, a fluffed Jones clearance kick saw Marek Mintal find an empty net from 35 yards.

 

Gareth Bale hit back with a superb free kick, but Mintal immediately replied with a 40-yard thunderbolt.

 

After the break Miroslav Karhan chipped in from the edge of the box and Robert Vittek finished the scoring.

 

The Millennium Stadium hammering was Wales' worst home defeat since a 7-1 loss to England in Wrexham in 1908, and manager John Toshack will have a hard job to lift morale before Wednesday's game with Cyprus in Cardiff.

 

Wales enjoyed a bright start as a sublime Jason Koumas ball from midfield got Bale to the by-line, the full-back's cross failing to reach an unmarked Robert Earnshaw in the box.

 

The visitors soon made Wales pay, possession falling to Vittek on the edge of the box where the FC Nuremberg forward had the skill to turn Lewin Nyatanga before delivering a beautifully weighted ball across the face of goal.

 

Svento nipped in ahead of Richard Duffy at the far post to fire back across Jones, the keeper's despairing flap unable to keep the ball out.

 

Earnshaw had an immediate chance to reply from a ball over the top, his lob well saved by Kamil Contofalsky.

 

Craig Bellamy just failed to find Earnshaw with a ball from the by-line, but every time the east Europeans broke at pace the home side's inexperienced and unfamiliar back line looked vulnerable.

 

Bellamy - captaining his country for the first time in a week where he faces an assault trial in Cardiff - had the ball in the net on 30 minutes, but saw his effort ruled out for offside.

 

Jones - with the number 50 and a dragon shaved into his head to celebrate his cap landmark - then made one of the worst mistakes of his long international career.

 

A weak clearance kick under no pressure went straight to Mintal, and the FC Nuremberg striker fired a snap 35-yard shot into the empty goal.

 

Wales hit back as Koumas was fouled just outside the box, allowing 17-year-old Bale to curl a beautiful left-footed free kick into the top right corner for his first international goal.

 

But Welsh hope was extinguished within a minute as Mintal latched onto an innocuous-looking ball to drive a stunning 40-yard shot past Jones.

 

Bellamy had a chance to narrow the gap shortly before the break, but his shot slid narrowly wide.

 

The home side replaced Earnshaw with Paul Parry at half-time, but Jones' nightmare continued as a Jan Kozak short corner to the unmarked Karhan ended with the midfielder curling a 30-yard goal over the hapless keeper.

 

The QPR veteran had no chance with the fifth, Svento skinning Duffy down the left and delivering a ball to the feet of Vittek, who made no mistake with the finish.

 

Joe Ledley's introduction for Rob Edwards and the switch to a flat back four steadied Wales for a while, and Bellamy went close with two chances, but the damage to their hopes had already been done.

 

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Oh dear, poor Wales, have Wales allready lost hope of qualifying? Can they turn it around in a group that also contains Germany, Czech Republic and Repbulic of Ireland?

Terrible result for Wales, I expected them to do well here. This is the sort of game they need to win.

Wales are now playing like Scotland were 2 years ago, absolutely c**p

Wales are now playing like Scotland were 2 years ago, absolutely c**p

 

.... and so are the Republic of Ireland.....

 

.... and so are the Republic of Ireland.....

 

...And paradoxically, Scotland are actually starting to play like the Republic of Ireland of a decade or so ago.... :lol: :lol:

 

 

But, a big OUCH for Wales.... Felt really bad for them.... :(

Just watched the goals on YouTube (some nice person was kind enough to post it up.. just type in 'Wales 1 Slovakia 5'.. if you really, REALLY want to!). I felt sorry for Wales, but when you look at the abysmal goals they were letting in, they've only themselves to blame. I don't personally think that the asbences of any amount of players could possibly begin to explain playing as badly as that.

The second goal was disgusting. I would've subbed Jones at half time based on that alone