WALES suffered Nations League agony after a late defeat in Poland – just days before their crunch World Cup play-off final.
Jonny Williams fired Robert Page’s makeshift side ahead on 52 minutes before substitutes Jakub Kaminski and Karol Swiderski clinched victory for the hosts in Wroclaw.
Dragons boss Page rested captain Gareth Bale as well as experienced trio Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and Ben Davies with one eye on Sunday’s play-off final in Cardiff against the winners of Scotland and Ukraine on Wednesday night.
But a second string Welsh outfit held their own for long periods on their first outing in League A of the competition.
Swindon midfielder Williams stunned the Poles when he lashed past Kamil Grabara with a 20-yard shot past Kamil Grabara.
It was only Williams’ second goal for his country on his 32nd cap – his first against Bulgaria in October 2020 – but it was a well executed effort from outside the penalty box to hand the visitors the lead.
But Poland, with hotshot Robert Lewandowski in their ranks, hit back.
Kaminski slotted home into the far corner with 18 minutes remaining to put the World Cup finalists level.
Then as Wales looked set to hold on for a draw, fellow sub Swiderski netted from close-range on 85 minutes after Lewandowski’s shot was deflected off stand-in Chris Gunter.
Captain Lewandowski started just two days after he revealed his career at Bayern Munich is over.
