Hitting the ageing Finns on the counter-attack is what is what Wales had to do and nine minutes before thebreak, Tottenham left-back Bale did just that crossing from the by-line for Simon Church, but the Reading striker could not direct his glancing header goal-bound.
Spurs were soon back in the ascendancy but West Ham's back four stood strong once more and wingers Bale and Lennon swapped sides in a bid tobreakthe visitors' concentration.