1975 ECQ Wales 1 Austria 0

With yesterday's draw pitting Wales against Austria in a world cup play off next March it's sure to revive memories of another famous football encounter between the two nations in November 1975 when victory for either side would mean qualification for the 1976 european championship quarter finals. Thankfully Wales won 1-0 at Wrecsam's rececourse ground courtesy of an Arfon Griffiths goal on 69 minutes, meaning Mike Smith's team topped their group ahead of Austria and Hungary - and this is still the only occasion in their history when Wales have finished first in a qualifying group.
The two sides on that memorable November night were
Wales : Brian Lloyd, Ian Evans, Joey Jones, Leighton Phillips, Rod Thomas, Brian Flynn, Arfon Griffiths, John Mahoney, Leighton James, David Smallman,Terry Yorath (captain)
Austria : Friedl Koncilia, Werner Kriess (captain), Bruno Pezzey, Robert Sara, Manfred Steiner, Hannes Winklbauer, Johann Ettmayer, Kurt Jara, Herbert Prohaska, Hans Krankl, Kurt Welzl.
Attendance : 27,578. Commentator Gerald Sinstadt ITV
Sadly Wales were to be knocked out 3-1 in the last 8 by Yugoslavia (in a tie which has entered history for all the wrong reasons).

[@nigeljames83]

Again James was outstanding!

[@paulwilliams8389]

The forgotten team of Welsh football. This side deserves to mentioned alongside the ones of 1958, 2016, 2020 and 2022.

[@thewelshsportnostalgiachan4301]

indeed Paul - this is still the only Wales team to top its qualifying group.

[@WEMBLEY-qm1st]

💎⚽️

[@darren2514fv]

Had it not been for Scotland cheating at Anfield in 1977 it would have been Wales playing in Argentina in 1978