Hughes looks for positives

"In days gone by we would have lost this match," said the Wales manager, Mark Hughes, reflecting on a 2-2 draw in Wednesday's home friendly with Bosnia which managed to be both a triumph and a disappointment.

Wales did indeed achieve the historic nine-match unbeaten run and, when Azerbaijan come to the Millennium Stadium next month for a Euro 2004 qualifier, they will be favourites to make it 10. It is worth pointing out that their ninth game was considerably easier than either of those faced by the 1958 side, who lost 1-0 in the quarter-finals to the eventual World Cup winners Brazil, or the boys of 1981, who lost 2-0 in Prague to Czechoslovakia, who had just ceased to be European champions.

The way both goals were conceded showed that the enormous strides taken under Hughes cannot be taken for granted. The effortless way in which Bosnia's Elvir Baljic and Sergei Barbarez penetrated the Wales defence should sober everyone. "Maybe our marking could have been better," Hughes admitted.

Nevertheless, unlike the rest of the home nations, Wales did not lose and if, as Tottenham's Simon Davies claimed, this can serve as a "right kick up the backside" before the two Euro 2004 qualifiers with Azerbaijan and then Serbia and Montenegro, Wednesday will have been worthwhile.

Of most concern to Hughes is the fact that few of his best side are first-choice for their clubs. The Southampton reserve Paul Jones was rested in favour of Nottingham Forest's Darren Ward, who had no chance with Baljic's goal, made one stunning save and was substituted at half-time. John Hartson would have taken plenty of confidence back to Glasgow, where his relationship with the Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has soured.

The experiment of playing Cardiff's Rhys Weston at right-back in favour of Mark Delaney, who has threatened to leave Aston Villa unless he is picked more regularly, did not work. Matt Jones, who has spent a long, painful year attempting to regain his fitness at Leicester, gave Wales much more punch when brought on.

Birmingham's Robbie Savage admits that he scans the papers every Sunday to find out how many of his international colleagues have retained their first-team places. Surely, so must his manager.