Andorra 1 Wales 2. Gareth Bale called it the worst pitch he had ever played on, and Andorra's new artificial surface could end up denting Arsenal's Premier League challenge if midfielder Aaron Ramsey is ruled out of this weekend's showdown with Man City as a result of an injury he picked up playing on it.
The state of the 3G pitch infuriated Wales manager Chris Coleman as his side had to come from behind as they laboured to an unconvincing 2-1 win over minnows Andorra, ranked 199th in the world.
"The artificial surface in Andorra was heavily criticised by Bale and Coleman after the game, and may have played a part as Ramsey appeared to twist his ankle in the surface," reports the BBC.
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Andorra had subjected Ramsey to "roughhouse treatment" during the match says the Daily Mail, and he was forced off in the dying minutes after rolling his ankle. Coleman said it would take a day or two for the extent of the injury to become clear.
By the time Ramsey left the field Wales were in the lead, but for much of the match it looked as though Andorra were on course to collect their first ever European qualifying point and end a run of 44 competitive defeats.
The hosts took the lead after being awarded a fifth-minute penalty, their first competitive goal for four years, and although Gareth Bale equalised with a header 16 minutes later the scores were still level after 80 minutes. But then the world's most expensive footballer curled in a free kick to spare his side's blushes.
"While Coleman was delighted with the attitude of his players, he was less than impressed with the 3G surface," notes The Guardian. "The pitch constantly threw up rubber crumbs from its base when the ball rolled along the surface and it was clear that the Welsh players were unhappy."
The bounce was "awkward" and the role "uneven" says the Mail, and afterwards Coleman said he did not believe the surface was up to Uefa standards. Bale dismissed it as "by far the worst" pitch he had come across.
