Wales vs Andorra match report: Gareth Bale has inevitable final word on night of celebration in Cardiff

Wales 2 Andorra 0: Real Madrid man brings down the curtain on home side's successful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign

Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey were Wales’ scorers in the 2-0 win over Andorra at the Cardiff City Stadium (Getty Images)

They will bring songs, a kaleidoscope of colour and cult heroes next summer, let there be no mistake about that. The most delicious moment of the Welsh night of celebration told us as much. It entailed the players dragging Joe Ledley, their substitute, from the bench and making him join them in a rendition of his dance which went viral after the nation secured qualification on Saturday.

We can expect something more in France than the monochrome of England and their confounded weight of expectations. Wales were briefly top of their group at that stage, before Belgium took a lead which they held against Israel and, though the modest scoreline shows why the continent will not be quaking, they have travelled a huge distance under manager Chris Coleman. The celebration befitted that.

Dead rubbers for Wales usually entail hand-wringing about why they have not made it. It is to be hoped they do not draw England and find their onward journey overshadowed.

The Super Furry Animals were on the pitch by 7pm, stoking the spirit with “Fire in my Heart”. They had been a part of this journey through good times and grim. No one here can forget them on a stage in this stadium three and a half years ago when Gary Speed – the manager who got this whole thing started – was remembered in a tribute match.

They recalled with fondness and sadness that night, the way Speed would entertain the dressing room with his guitar melodies. Speed’s name was sung again on this occasion. The interview with his father, Roger, on the BBC’s Sportsweek last month was as vivid as any part of this denouement.

Cliff Jones remembered on the same programme how Mel Charles, brother of John, had been casually greeted by an acquaintance at Swansea railway station after making it home from the 1958 World Cup – Wales’ last venture into tournament football in which both brothers played – and asked where he had got to all these weeks. This kind of achievement just didn’t carry the weight back then but that has changed utterly, 57 years on. The Western Mail’s Chris Wathan perhaps captured best what the qualification means when he looked ahead to a summer of “Panini stickers with Welsh stars” in them, themed chocolate bars and cola cans.

In the stands, they sang “We’re going to France” and, with rather more originality, they sang “Ain’t nobody like Joe Ledley, makes me happy, makes me feel this way”, but not as loudly as Gareth Bale sang the national anthem, beaming in the process. It was he, a little over 12 months ago, who set off the campaign with the two goals before 3,000 people Andorra that repaired the ignominy of conceding a sixth-minute goal against a nation who had mustered one in 50 hours of football. It was he who finished it, treading every blade of grass, exhorting the Family Stand to sing as he ran for a corner as the first half wound down.

It would have spoilt the party to say too loudly that one nation has perhaps never entered a tournament leaning on one man more than Wales do with their treasured son. He took on the Andorrans almost single-handed when the celebration had given way to what Coleman hoped would be a demonstration of what is to come. The night conformed to the general story that if he does not score or set one up, Wales don’t. For 45 minutes, he didn’t and they didn’t.

It did not help the party that the world’s 148th-ranked nations had some defenders in their ranks. The animated central defender Ildefons Lima and Max Llovera kept Wales out, though it required Ferran Pol to make the save of the first half when he palmed over a header Llovera had sent goalwards. Ramsey’s angular header from a Ben Davies cross was touched by Pol on to his bar and Bale was his usual threat from free-kicks as Wales built pressure. The release of tension was palpable six minutes into the second half when Bale’s arced left-foot cross, headed down towards goal by Ashley Williams, was parried out to Ramsey, who finished left-footed from close range.

Wales remained camped in Andorran territory, with Ashley Williams again venturing into the six-yard box with a header Pol stopped more by good luck than judgement. There was a perfect symmetry about Bale finishing it all, turning in Davies’ cross with a deflected shot which Pol should have stopped.

Coleman said after the goalless draw with Israel here last month that an ability to break down defensive sides was something Wales must work on. Another concern is that other sides will work out the very formulaic Welsh counter-attacking game. All for another day, though. “Always s*** on the English side of the bridge” the Welsh sang at the end and this time they do not watch England head off while having no adventure of their own.

Man of the match Bale.

Match rating 7/10.

Referee K Blom (Netherlands).