International friendlies wrap: Wales net four

Wales recorded their third consecutive victory as they beat Norway 4-1 at the Cardiff City Stadium, ensuring they ended 2011 on a high.

Goals from Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy put the hosts ahead at half-time, and whilst the visitors were given brief hope Erik Huseklepp after the restart, a late Sam Vokes double secured the win for the Welsh.

For the Norwegians, John Arne Riise won his 100th cap.

Bale opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he found himself in the clear with just the goalkeeper to beat, and from a tight angle, he lashed the ball into the back of the net.

Rune Jarsetin will feel he should have done better, with the stopper beaten at his near post, but it was nevertheless a brilliant strike.

Just minutes later Gary Speed’s side found themselves two up, when Bellamy drove at the Norwegian back line from his own half, with the midfield non-existent.

Using the foraging run of Adam Matthews as a decoy, he cut inside onto his favoured right foot, and whipped a superb effort into the back of the net, leaving Jarstein flapping helplessly.

With six changes permitted for both sides, Norway made a double substitution at half time, Vadim Demidov replacing Kjetil Waehler, and Espen Pettersen replacing Rune Jarstein between the sticks.

Just past the hour the visitors were gifted a route back into the game.

Morten-Gamst Pedersen floated a beautifully weighted ball over the Welsh defence, only for Huseklepp’s chest control to be too heavy, leaving Wayne Hennessey with a routine collection.

However, somehow the Wolves goalkeeper contrived to drop the ball onto the back of midfielder Andrew Croft’s heels, with the ball ricocheting into the path of Huseklepp, who was left with a simple tap into an empty net.

Wales hit back through Bale whose pace saw him drive to the by-line, before cutting back across goal to find substitute Vokes, who tapped in to secure the win.

And it wasn’t too late for Vokes to double his tally for the afternoon, winning back possession straight from the kick-off, and drilling a low drive into the back of the next from all of 25 yards.

Meanwhile, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa held Ivory Coast to a 1-1 draw to share the 17th edition of the Nelson Mandela Challenge.

The visitors took the lead when Siboniso Gaxa headed home an own goal in the 38th minute.

South Africa’s equaliser came in the 53rd minute from Katiego Mphela, his 22nd goal in 44 games for his country.