WALES manager Mark Hughes' assessment of his side's performance last night was damning and honest as he blasted: "We lost our bottle."

When it mattered most, Hughes' brave side just weren't up to the challenge and went down 1-0 at home to Russia to crash out of Euro 2004 - and he knows that his team just couldn't handle the pressure.

"It was a huge match and a massive occasion and I think the nerves got the better of us," admitted Hughes.

"Obviously, there were some very nervous people in the dressing room before the game, perhaps more so than usual, and that's understandable when you consider how big this game was."

He added: "But if we are to progress and get over this hurdle of qualifying for a major finals then the players need to learn how to handle the pressure at the very highest level."

So it's back to the drawing board for Hughes, but deep down although he knows Wales have come a long way in the past two years, it will count for nothing when the Euro 2004 finals start in Portugal next summer.

Wales are without a win in seven games - yet Hughes still feels that his side are making decent progress.

"We've come a long way in this qualifying campaign. We were so close and, although we are going through some tough times at the moment, Welsh football is in a lot healthier state then when we began the Euro 2004 campaign," said Hughes.

"Russia defended well and we could never get any decent tempo or rhythm going in our game.

"Having said that, we did have three golden chances to score. They've fallen to the three players on the pitch that you would want to have been in that circumstance (John Hartson, Ryan Giggs and Gary Speed).

"We needed one of those chances to go in, but they haven't - and that's why we are not going to Portugal."

Wales' own defending last night left a lot to be desired.

"The goal we conceded was very disappointing and I was very upset at our defending from set-pieces all night," admitted Hughes.

"But we should have defended the initial situation better.

"Perhaps Darren Barnard could have done better and not conceded the free-kick which led to the goal, but our marking was poor and we should have done better.

"There is never a good time to concede a goal but that was particularly poor timing. "But, hopefully, we've put Welsh football back on the map by getting this far and hopefully people will respect us a little more."