Bellamy saves Wales

Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy needed to score two equalisers, the second a real cracker, after New Zealand had twice gone ahead through Shane Smeltz in the opening half.

Wales fielded 17 year-old Chris Gunter for his full international debut while this game also saw the return from long-term injury of defender Danny Gabbidon and striker Robert Earnshaw, both hoping to prove their fitness ahead of next weekend.

New Zealand had been severely depleted by withdrawals and had just Fulham reserve Chris James and recent Conference man Smeltz from Halifax as players involved in the British set-up.

Also on show was Leo Bertos, a former Barnsley player now with Perth in the Australian league.

The visitors claimed a shock lead after just 110 seconds.

Jeremy Christie fed Duncan Oughton down the right, leaving Sam Ricketts and Gabbidon trailing, and when the cross arrived in the six-yard box there was more Welsh confusion as the unmarked Smeltz drilled home.

Gabbidon, who had not played since early January after a groin operation, looked more than a little rusty and when Bertos easily turned him on eight minutes the chip shot that followed almost embarrassed Danny Coyne before he pushed it away as he collided with a post.

This was anything but a gentle friendly, with New Zealand defenders clattering through the back of Simon Davies, Earnshaw and Bellamy in quick succession and Andy Boyens was booked for the foul on Bellamy.

And after 18 minutes the Liverpool striker was on hand to crack home Ryan Giggs' right-wing cross for the equaliser.

But New Zealand were back in the lead after Gunter managed to get himself booked for a foul on Oughton after 23 minutes.

That indirectly led to the visitors' second goal following more shoddy defending from Wales.

Coyne started to come for James' set-piece in from the left, stopped, and it was left to James Collins to produce a poor headed clearance which fell to Tim Brown.

His angled ball back in was headed past Coyne from six yards.

Bellamy had seen a Giggs cross touched from his toes by Boyens, while the Wales captain lashed a 20-yarder wide, and Bellamy was unlucky to be flagged offside as he set-up Earnshaw for a close-range tap-in.

But it was Bellamy who pulled Wales level again after 37 minutes with a venomous strike, going past Tony Lochhead at pace and lashing an angled right-footer past Mark Paston.

Wales made three changes at the break, with Wayne Hennessey getting his full debut in goal, Wrexham's Steve Evans taking over from Gunter and Joe Ledley replacing Carl Fletcher as Wales switched to five at the back.

Ledley almost put Wales ahead. Ricketts crossed from the right and the ball fell to the Cardiff youngster who fired in a 12-yarder shot which Paston palmed round a post.

Then Evans rose to power a header just wide from a Giggs corner as Wales looked far more organised than in the first half.

Bellamy's cross soon after then caused chaos in the New Zealand ranks and both Ledley and Earnshaw almost scored.

New Zealand replaced Jeremy Christie and Bertos with Andy Barron and Jeff Campbell, before Wales gave Daniel Nardiello his first cap after 64 minutes, taking over from Earnshaw.

Wales had carved out a string of chances but New Zealand could not be discounted and Smeltz took full advantage of a lack of urgency between Collins and Gabbidon to drill a shot against the foot of Hennessey's left-hand post after 71 minutes.

Late on Nardiello cut in from the left to see a low shot deflected wide and Bellamy broke through on the left to be denied his hat-trick by the desperate lunge of Boyens.

SPORTING LIFE