Wales gave a creditable display but could not deny Poland victory in Warsaw last night and with it a place at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany next summer.

John Toshack's men were under severe pressure for most of the match but still finished battling for an equaliser, having gone behind to a Maciej Zurawski second-half penalty.

But the more worrying matter is hat Wales have now gone 14 competitve matches without victory and four competitve matches without even a goal.

Their young side were pounded by the Poles and they had teenager Craig Davies and debutant Joe Ledley on at the finish as Toshack stuck to his plan to give youth its fling.

Somehow Wales survived, with Danny Gabbidon outstanding and the likes of James Collins and David Partridge outstanding in defence.

Robert Earnshaw came into the starting line-up with John Hartson suspended, while full-back Richard Duffy was rested, allowing Wolves' Rob Edwards to win his ninth cap.

Jason Koumas came into midfield in place of Carl Robinson while at the back Collins took over from Robert Page.

Indeed, Toshack's team had an average of just 25, a huge difference from a year ago with just four of the ageing team that played in Mark Hughes' last match surviving the new Welsh chief's dramatic transformation of the squad.

Wales were under instant pressure with first a header from Tottenham's Grzegorz Rasiak and then a dipping drive from Miroslaw Szymkowiak flashing over in the opening minutes.

Then Celtic striker Zurawski saw a 30-yard shot deflected inches wide.

Wales, playing with just Carl Fletcher in front of the back five, left space all around him, which Poland happily exploited.

Wales started to weather the storm and gained more possession, and one 60-yard crossfield ball by Ryan Giggs found Earnshaw, who brought the ball down and struck it with his left foot but only straight at Artur Boruc, in goal because of injury to Jerzy Dudek.

Poland went close when Zurawski fired in a low drive which Danny Coyne spilled, but Wales did start making some inroads with Edwards and Sam Ricketts getting in shots while a frustrated Giggs toiled for openings.

Wales brought on Duffy for the under-pressure Edwards at the break, but still the waves of attacks flowed towards Coyne's goal and on 49 minutes Zurawski's clip into the box confused everyone, but the ball slid away from danger.

Duffy had produced a perfectly fair, thunderous, tackle to dispossess Kamil Kosowski, but as the same player sprinted down the left-hand side of the box and cut back, the Coventry man caught him and sent him tumbling.

The Polish break had been caused by Koumas failing to make a 50-50 tackle in midfield, with the ball flowing through Welsh ranks.

The Welsh players claimed a dive, and Gabbidon stood over the fallen Pole to make the point, but the spot-kick was soon driven past Coyne by Zurawski to give Poland the lead.

With 10 minutes left Ledley came on for his full debut in place of Earnshaw, the 18-year-old having just three under-21 caps to his name.

He was sent to patrol the right, with Davies in a more central role.

Gabbidon was then booked for a trip on Szymkowiak, a caution which rules him out of the next match in Northern Ireland.

Giggs saw a 25-yard free-kick held by Celtic goalkeeper Boruc in the closing minutes and they searched for the equaliser, and Davies skying over a fine chance made by Ricketts.