Ukraine's pride undented as Wales win through to historic World Cup appearance

On this occasion, let's not talk about heroes, because they are in Ukraine, defending their country, defending the families and friends of the men who lost a football match on Sunday.

But let's salute two teams who disputed an epic match - not epic in terms of quality, perhaps, but epic in terms of emotion, epic in terms of effort, epic in terms of drama.

No wonder the stadium was awash with tears at the end of a wonderfully draining contest.

What a crying shame Ukraine will not be at World Cup 2022.

And what poignant scenes as the Ukrainian players stood in front of their supporters, clapping them, weeping uncontrollably.

Then, Gareth Bale and the Welsh squad joined them and the whole stadium poured out its support for the Ukrainian people.

It was a moving finale to a magnificently moving occasion.

And after Bale had hugged Oleksandr Zinchenko, boy was he entitled to celebrate.

Ironically, Bale did not have the best of games but his deflected free-kick was still the moment that takes Wales to their first World Cup in 64 years.

In contrasting ways, this was always going to be a contest in which controlling emotions would be a key issue.

And for half an hour, the Ukrainians, in that respect, appeared to do a far better job than the home team.

A wonderfully stirring build-up certainly wound up a few of the Welsh, Joe Allen treading violently on the toes of Taras Stepanenko to earn himself a yellow card inside two minutes.

Everything Ukraine did was more composed and they created a succession of half-chances, only to be denied by Wayne Hennessey, albeit not in particularly convincing fashion.

Everything Wales did was more frantic, Bale snatching at one decent shooting opportunity typical of their indiscipline.

And let's face it, he did not even strike the free-kick - cleverly won thy Dan James - that led to the breakthrough all that well.

A shot? A cross? Whatever Bale intended, he cannot have anticipated the helping head from Andriy Yarmolenko.

His team-mates were quick with consolation but quite what Yarmolenko was doing is anyone's guess.

It was not a deflection, it was an awful attempt to intercept Bale's delivery.

To put the tin hat on a forgettable first half for Yarmolenko, referee Antonio Lahoz decided his penalty area tumble was not the result of a mistimed Allen kick.

Surprisingly, the VAR agreed.

And after the break, Wales should have made even more capital out of their good fortune but Ramsey tagged a rotten finish onto the end of a slick counter-attack.

Had Viktor Tsygankov converted a great chance, Ramsey's regret would have been instant.

Hennessey stopped the weak Tsygankov effort with his right boot, which pretty much summed up the Wales keeper's overall performance.

Unconventional, occasionally unconvincing … but absolutely vital.

And he could have had a far more comfortable final 15 minutes had Brennan Johnson's volley not rebounded off a post and had Bale not made a surprising hash of a great chance.

Instead, Hennessey had to produce one more decisive stop, a flying one-hander from Artem Dovbyk's header.

No wonder the pitch-invading staff made a beeline for Hennessey at the final whistle.

He was submerged beneath a mass of celebrating Welshmen while the Ukrainians lay distraught.

But they could ALL stand proud.