WELSH skipper Gary Speed has told his international team-mates: "The hard work starts here."

Wales, who thumped Azerbaijan 4-0 in Cardiff on Saturday, are flying high in Euro 2004 qualifying Group Nine with four wins out of four but the experienced campaigner won't let his team get carried away.

With a double-header with Serbia/Montenegro, a tricky trip to Italy, and Finland set to visit Cardiff, Speed knows Wales are can ill afford to start planning for Portugal 2004.

Wales, though, did take another massive step towards their first major championship for 46 years with their biggest win for seven years against Azerbaijan in front of 72,500 fans at the Millennium Stadium.

Troubled striker Craig Bellamy took just 13 seconds to open the scoring for Wales' fastest-ever goal before Speed himself made it two. John Hartson scored in his third successive game before Ryan Giggs rammed home his first international goal for three years to make it four.

But before Welsh fans start booking holidays to the Algarve next summer, Speed pointed-out: "The final stretch of the campaign will be the toughest.

"With all respect to Azerbaijan, they're probably our two easiest games and we've got six points but know we've got four tough games to come - the hard work starts here.

"We've given ourselves a great chance but one thing s for sure if we don't get any more points in the next few games we won't qualify."

And captain Speed insists Wednesday's postponed trip to Serbia/Montenegro is a blessing in disguise for Mark Hughes' jubilant men as ten players - half of them key figures - are on the sick-bed, including the Newcastle United player himself.

The Belgrade clash has been re-arranged for Wednesday August 20 due to the current political unrest in the country in the wake of Serbia Prime Minister Zoran Djindic's assassination.

But the 33-year-old said: "Saying that, when we do lose personnel it doesn't weaken us as it used to years ago."

Robbie Savage hobbled out of Saturday's match early on and was taken to hospital suffering from ankle ligament damage while Speed and Bellamy also picked up knocks that would have kept them out of any games this week.