Wales produced their best performance under John Toshack to stun a partisan German crowd at the Wald Stadium in their final Euro 2008 qualifier.

Players who two games ago were being told by their manager they did not care about their country and lived a self-indulgent, pampered lifestyle, showed how much the red shirt does mean to them.

They did it in front of 1,000 of their hardy fans, but a nation back home knows that Toshack has talent and commitment to build a future on.

Wales, led superbly by skipper Simon Davies, fought for every yard and turned in a performance that saw them deservedly cheered off by friend and foe.

There were heroes everywhere. Davies, Carl Fletcher and new boy David Edwards in midfield stole the show.

The Luton youngster made his full Wales debut in the daunting Wald stadium, the 21 year-old having made a brief appearance as substitute in Saturday's 2-2 draw with the Republic of Ireland, but this was by far the biggest and best game of his life.

Toshack was able to recall Sam Ricketts from suspension, while Lewin Nyatanga, Fletcher and Robert Earnshaw all played after recovering from injury and illness. Chris Gunter, at 18, won his third cap.

The Wales boss had talked of trying to protect his young players ahead of this final group D game, and the measure of his concern was born out with a starting line-up that had only three players with less than 10 caps.

Toshack had gone for every scrap of experience he could find, even if Fletcher and Earnshaw may not have been fully fit. Wales started with 240 caps between them.

Germany had 445 to underline what a task confronted the Welsh in what was a party atmosphere as the expectant home support celebrated the ease in which their heroes had reached the finals.

But Wales started with remarkable confidence, trying to win their tackles, make passes and keep possession.

But after 10 minutes when former Aston Villa man Thomas Hitzlsperger increased the pace, glided into space and set up Lukas Podolski for a 20-yarder strike over the top, the threat was obvious and ominous.

Four minutes later Clemens Fritz and Tim Borowski exchanged quick, accurate passes with the Werder Bremen man hitting the foot of a post from 18 yards, Wayne Hennessey diving on the rebound.

Wales kept working away, even if Earnshaw's task on his own up front against Real Madrid's Christoph Metzelder and Bremen's Per Mertesacker was unenviable.

However, he was there in the box to head a Davies free-kick wide as Wales grew in confidence and started to catch Germany on the break.

Skipper Davies had a fine game, supporting colleagues and finding space to set up attacks, however infrequent they were. His industry right across midfield working to stem the flow of German passing was equally praiseworthy.

Germany did not seem to think they needed to play at any great pace, which suited Wales. But when they did break, Philip Lahm down the left, the resulting cross was headed inches wide by Mario Gomez.

Wales' response was an 18 yarder from Fletcher that flashed equally close to a post. Davies' run on the left then produced a cross that James Collins unluckily headed against a defender and behind.

Wales were now getting a little over-confident, coming forward, but Davies' interceptions and leadership was driving them on.

The announcement of England's problems at Wembley at least gave the Germans something to cheer about at the break.

Germany sent on Simon Rolfes for Hitzlsperger, and he was booked with virtually his first touch, for clattering Gunter after the youngster had run past four white shirts to clear the ball.

Jermaine Easter took over from the tiring Earnshaw, the Derby man exhausted having played after a week of sickness.

Hennessey missed a long cross after 59 minutes, and Rolfes' header was cleared from a gaping net by Collins. Miroslav Klose then headed just wide, Wales starting to allow delivery from the flanks.

The trick now for Wales was to keep it going. But minds and bodies were starting to tire and the ground that youngster Edwards had been so diligently covering began to look vast.

And the Welsh fans were quietened when Germany were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box, Borowski tumbling. Collins, Fletcher and Gabbidon were all booked for arguing about that, thankfully the chance was wasted.

But the Germans continued to pour forward, every Welshman now fighting for every inch. Hennessey went into the book for time-wasting.

Andrew Crofts came on for the excellent Edwards in injury-time, Wales just desperate for those three minutes to pass.

Teams:

Germany Lehmann, Castro (Hilbert 55), Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Fritz, Borowski, Hitzlsperger (Rolfes 46), Podolski, Gomez (Neuville 70), Klose.

Subs Not Used: Hildebrand, Hanke, Manuel Friedrich, Trochowski.

Wales Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, Collins, Nyatanga, Gunter, Fletcher, Simon Davies, Edwards (Crofts 90), Ledley, Earnshaw (Easter 55).

Subs Not Used: Price, Eardley, Cotterill, Evans, Morgan.

Booked: Gabbidon, Collins, Hennessey.

Att: 49,252

Ref: Pavel Balaj (Romania).