RYAN GIGGS HAD BEEN ASKED IN THE build-up to select his most notable away triumph with Wales. He lifted his eyebrows, threw his head back in thought and offered a narrow defeat by Austria last year. As hollow as that “victory” was in his 15 years playing international football, the Manchester United winger must have felt positively empty on Saturday when he probably replaced it with another agonising experience, this time against the Czech Republic.

“Unbelievable”, “another hard-luck story”, “same old Wales” and “a cruel blow” — all these fateful expressions were used in the aftermath of the 2-1 defeat. While the late loss should not have such a devastating effect, there is a feeling that Welsh fans, whose team has not qualified for a major tournament in 48 years, have only ever known heartache since the grainy black-and-white era of John Charles, Ivor Allchurch and Jack Kelsey.

It may not seem the most optimistic note on which to begin a European Championship qualifying campaign, but this Wales team is better than ones that have gone before and may be capable of ending the drought. No one was proclaiming a new dawn, but John Toshack’s confrontation of the forceful personalities of Robbie Savage and Ben Thatcher has brought a more disciplined shape to the team.

Simon Davies was probably as influential on the wing as he has been for several years and in defence, Danny Gabbidon’s sloppiness had faded, while Lewin Nyatanga’s stature rose to meet the challenge of the 6ft 7in Jan Koller.

Yet, unfortunately for Wales, they were again left to rue the golden chances that came the way of Craig Bellamy when the match was goalless, and mistakes from the officials that resulted in both Czech goals. “I hoped that the experienced players would do better,” Toshack said. “I have some sympathy for Bellamy because he had been in bed for 24 hours with a temperature.”

Often accused of being a hot-head, how Wales could have done with Bellamy’s usual club coolness. After Wales has weathered an opening barrage, Giggs’s incisive, curled pass found the Liverpool striker skipping clear on the left flank. Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, correctly read which way Bellamy would veer and the striker sliced the follow-up wide.

When the Wales forwards combined delightfully to cut open a static and sluggish Czech defence midway through the second half, Bellamy bore down on Cech but snatched at his shot and hit the outside of a post. “I have to show a little bit more imagination to beat Cech,” Bellamy said. “I seem to be having chances for Wales, but they are not going in.”

A minute later, Paul Jones’s punch was scooped back into the area by Libor Sionko and nodded in by David Lafata, standing in what appeared to be an offside position. Having equalised through Martin Jiranek’s own goal, Wales’s frustration turned to anger when Lafata mis-kicked his shot in after the Czechs had taken a free kick while the ball was still moving.

“I spoke to the referee, but he wasn’t interested,” Jones said. “We are absolutely gutted. It is demoralising. We can’t believe our luck. Unfortunately we are not taking our chances and there is always pressure on the back boys. The scrappy shots go in and we are deflated again. Maybe on Monday we will take the positives: our passing and movement was excellent.”

Lingering question marks remain about a talented but narrow and toothless Czech team. “If Wales give performances like that, they have a good chance to earn a lot of points,” Cech said. But will they get enough to qualify?