‘DOWN, but not out’ is the message from the Welsh camp as they aim to take out their England frustrations on Russia and seal a place in the Euro 2016 knockout stages.
Chris Coleman’s men returned to their Dinard training base yesterday after conceding a stoppage-time winner to England substitute Daniel Sturridge in Lens on Thursday.
The 2-1 defeat leaves Wales in second spot in Group B, a point behind England and level with third-placed Slovakia, ahead of Monday night’s decider against Russia.
A point at the Stade de Toulouse should be enough to make the last-16 and defensive lynchpins Ashley Williams and James Chester are confident of extending their stay in France.
Captain Williams gathered his teammates into a huddle in the middle of the pitch after the final whistle on Thursday and told them to keep their heads up.
“The message was not to be too down,” said the skipper. “After we beat Slovakia we knew it was not the time to get too high because we had not accomplished anything yet, and now is not the time to be getting down on ourselves.
“The work we put in means we should not be too hard on ourselves. This is football and these things happen.
“We have done ever so well to get here. We have done well in this tournament in a tough group. So let’s stick together and move on.
“If you had offered this situation at the start of the tournament, three points from two games, we would have taken it,” he added.
“It is the worst way to lose a football game but you cannot ask for more than it being in your own hands.
“We are still in a good position – it is not the end of the world.”
Fellow centre-back Chester echoed those sentiments and struck a confident note when looking ahead to Tuesday’s match.
“From what we have seen of Russia so far we are confident we can get a result,” said the West Bromwich Albion defender, who has been one of Wales’ most impressive performers so far in the tournament.
“Hopefully we can take our frustrations out on Russia and get through.”
He added: “I am pleased with how I played, but it is only a small consolation.
“I thought the game went how we wanted it to. We knew they were under pressure to get a result.
“We frustrated them and made them go down the sides, which is what we wanted.
“Inevitably they will get a couple of chances, and we just did not hold back.
“If they had not scored with 30 seconds to go we would have said what a great game it was.
“It was a disappointing ending and it is still in our hands.”
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