WALES' World Cup dream vanished in the blink of an eye last night as Poland produced a superb late fightback to break Welsh hearts.

For 65 minutes Wales were superb, spurred on by the inspirational Robbie Savage they dominated proceedings and they were deservedly in front after Robert Earn-shaw's delightful finish.

But their efforts were ultimately in vain as Poland produced a master class in clinical finishing with three late goals in thirteen minutes from Tomasz Frankowski, Maciej Zurawski and Jacek Krynowek.

It was a crushing blow for departing manager Mark Hughes, who lost mercurial winger Ryan Giggs before kick-off when the Manchester United man failed a fitness test after a virus.

Hughes couldn't hide his disappointment at the manner of the defeat.

He said: "The result is not what we looked for. We were in control and playing well and you hope to close it out but they came back very well.

"It is difficult for me, we have all put in a lot of effort in the last five years but sometimes football is a cruel game and you don't get what you deserve.

"But I will not criticise the players, they couldn't have done anymore tonight."

Hughes was bold in his team selection despite the loss of Giggs, reverting to 4-4-2 and drafting in Robert Earnshaw as a replacement for out of sorts Celtic hitman John Hartson.

Robbie Savage and Simon Davies were restored to midfield, which meant a recall for Gwent's James Collins, who rewarded his manager with a man of the match performance.

Wales started with real purpose and they could gone ahead as early as the sixth minute.

A long ball by Collins was headed back disastrously by Tomasz Rzasa and Earnshaw, who had been running on his shoulder, found himself clean through.

But he elected to shoot early when he had far more time than he realised and he flashed his shot wide.

Craig Bellamy was in the thick of the action after half an hour when Thatcher's slide rule pass put him clear. The angle was against him but Dudek could only turn his powerful strike onto the post.

Wales, inspired by Savage (who was harshly booked after some play-acting by Miroslaw Szymkowiak) and Jason Koumas, deserved to be in front and on 55 minutes the goal they craved finally arrived.

Savage was alert to take a free kick quickly after Bellamy had been fouled and his attempt to feed Earnshaw was misjudged by Tomasz Hajto whose lunge merely fed the West Brom man.

Despite the angle being against him, Earnshaw made no mistake as he deftly curled the ball around Liverpool stopper Jerzy Dudek with the outside of his right foot.

Completely in control Wales almost made it two when Bellamy's header back across goal was well saved by Dudek. If Wales had found a second they would surely won the game but instead, 1-0 soon became 1-3.

On 72 minutes a hopeful long-ball found substitute Frankowski, who turned Collins and sent a low shot perfectly into the bottom right hand corner.

Eight minutes later, buoyed by their equaliser a clipped ball over the top bamboozled Mark Delaney who was easily turned by Zurawski, who hammered the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.

Hughes turned to Hartson (and as it turned out, brought the curtain down on Gary Speed's international career) with twenty minutes remaining, but it was to be in vain.

With six minutes remaining Krynowek turned and fired home a superb third from twenty five yards to cap a remarkable fightback.

John Hartson nodded home a simple consolation goal in injury time after a Savage free kick but it was too little too late for Wales in a game that epitomised Mark Hughes reign as boss, promising much, but delivering little.

Wales: Jones, Delaney, Thatcher, Collins, Gabbidon, Davies, Speed (Hartson 78), Savage, Koumas (Parry 81), Earnshaw, Bellamy. Poland: Dudek, Rzasa, Kosowsi, Baszczynski, Kaluzny (Mila, 70), Bak,(Klos, 46) Hajto (c), Krynowek, Zurawski, Szymkowiak, Wlodarczyk (Frankowski, 59) Ref: A Sars (France) Attendance: 56,685