Johnson & Wilson score but Iceland come back for draw

Iceland 2-2 Cymru

• Brennan Johnson scores seven in seven for club and country
• Cymru dominate the first half and Iceland control the second
• Brennan Johnson and Jordan James to miss Montenegro match

The phrase “a game of two halves” was made for a match like this as Cymru controlled the first half taking a 2-0 lead into the break before Iceland dominated the second half to come from behind and draw this UEFA Nations League encounter 2-2. 

There was a lot of positives to take from the match but also an equal amount that the Cymru squad and management can learn from too. 

Cymru played exciting football in the first half with Brennan Johnson making it seven goals in seven games for club and country as he brought his form at Tottenham Hotspur into this international match before Harry Wilson added a deserved second.

It could’ve been more too as Wilson also had a shot deflected onto the post and Sorba Thomas went one-on-one with Hakon Rafn Valdimarsson.

In the second half, Logi Tómasson came off the bench to strike twice as Iceland dominated and created more than enough chances to go on and win the game to take all three points. 

Cymru took the lead in the 11th minute when Wilson stayed onside to run through onto a ball over the top of the defence from Neco Williams. Wilson’s shot saw Valdimarsson get something on the ball to take the sting out of the strike but Johnson followed in to put the ball over the line.

Cymru’s second goal came on the half hour mark with an incredible forward pass from Williams to find Wilson in attack, who applied a sublime finish to establish a deserved two-goal lead. 

The response from Iceland in the second half was excellent and when they forced a corner with 20 minutes remaining, the ball eventually landed at the feet of Tómasson, whose strike from outside the box made its way past Danny Ward. It was a lovely finish from the outside of his left foot.

With the way Iceland were playing, an equaliser seemed inevitable and it came just four minutes later as Tómasson did incredibly well to run into the box past Connor Roberts before squeezing the ball through Ward’s legs on the goal line.

Cymru now welcome Montenegro to Cardiff City Stadium on Monday, 14 October with a 7.45pm kick off. Tickets for the match are available by clicking here.

Craig Bellamy will be without Brennan Johnson and Jordan James for the match as their yellow cards in this Nations League match has resulted in a suspension.