Wales encouraging in draw

Wales put together an encouraging performance in their goalless draw against Bulgaria at Swansea's Liberty Stadium, ahead of their Euro 2008 qualifiers next month.

Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, Robert Earnshaw and Carl Robinson should have secured victory in a game that saw Wales throw on all their young brigade, while the captains' armband was worn by five different players on the night.

But although boss John Toshack will find plenty of positives on the night, he will know that had new Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov not wasted a hatful of glittering chances the result could have been very different.

Berbatov is going to be a real handful in the Premiership and he was shaking his head in disbelief as chance after chance went begging.

Toshack will look at his blend of youth and experience and the organised way they performed for his own encouragment.

The Wales boss had suffered very few withdrawals, and Giggs was able to skipper a side which included Bellamy fresh from Liverpool's Community Shield triumph over Chelsea in Cardiff, as well as defender Danny Gabbidon, who has managed just one half of football in pre-season due to a hernia problem.

The Bulgarians had British-based players including Celtic's Stilian Petrov, the captain who may be an Aston Villa player soon, while Charlton's Radostin Kishishev and Berbatov were also in the starting line-up.

Berbatov was a constant threat, causing Gabbidon plenty of problems, but Wales shaded the first half with plenty of controlled possession and passing.

Simon Davies and Earnshaw found space out wide to worry the Bulgarians with driven crosses, but while Wales were pressing forward well they dare not take their eyes off Berbatov.

In one sweeping Wales move, a superb ball from Bellamy to Robinson produced a free-kick. Giggs curled his shot from 20 yards and Georgi Petkov clawed the ball away from his left-hand post.