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Page last updated at 07:59 GMT, Thursday, 12 November 2009

Easter urges Wales to look ahead

International friendly - Wales v Scotland
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium Date: Saturday, 14 November Kick-off: 1500 GMT Coverage: Full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online, live text commentary online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 live.


Jermaine Easter
Easter has scored 10 goals for MK Dons this season

Jermaine Easter believes Wales must use Saturday's friendly with Scotland to start their preparations for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

Wales missed out on next year's World Cup in South Africa after finishing a disappointing fourth in their group.

But MK Dons striker Easter, who returned to the Wales fold for the last match against Liechtenstein, says John Toshack's men now must look forward.

"We can't look back at that now," the 27-year-old told BBC Sport Wales.

"We need to concentrate on the next qualifying campaign, prepare the right way and give ourselves an opportunity to go and qualify.

"I think every time the lads get together they've got to be thinking that way and focus with the qualifying campaign when the games really matter.

"When you look at the size of the nation and the size of some of the other nations we are coming up against, it's always going to be difficult.

"But we've always got to have a good team spirit and camaraderie and togetherness, and if we can create that, it gives us a better chance to go on and qualify."

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Wales manager John Toshack admitted in his pre-match press conference that the main reason the game against Scotland was being played was to try out the new 26,500 capacity Cardiff City Stadium.

Toshack is backing a Football Association of Wales proposal to take some Welsh international qualifiers away from the 73,000 capacity Millennium Stadium due to poor crowds.

"Initially we thought we would not bother with this November date," he said.

Toshack is without a host of players including Premier League quintet Craig Bellamy, James Collins, Jack Collison, Simon Davies and Boaz Myhill.

Nottingham Forest defender Chris Gunter is also out as is Blakpool's David Vaughan.

"Once again we are not without our problems in that respect," Toshack told BBC Sport Wales.

"We've had wretched luck with these kind of things."

Despite this being a friendly, both Toshack and his opposite number George Burley's jobs are under scrutiny after failing to qualify for next year's World Cup.

The last time the two teams met was in 2004 - under different managers - when Wales won 4-0 at the Millennium Stadium.


Wales squad to face Scotland:
Goalkeepers: Jason Brown (Blackburn Rovers), David Cornell (Swansea City), Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Defenders: Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Gabbidon (West Ham United), Craig Morgan (Peterborough United), Lewin Nyatanga (Bristol City), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Adam Matthews (Cardiff City)
Midfielders: David Cotterill (Sheffield United), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Andy King (Leicester City), Joe Ledley (Cardiff City), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Andy Dorman (St Mirren)
Strikers: Rob Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest) Simon Church (Reading), Ched Evans (Sheffield United), Jermaine Easter (MK Dons), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

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see also
Wales 3-0 Scotland
14 Nov 09 |  Internationals
Matthews relishing Wales chance
11 Nov 09 |  Welsh
Blake backs Wales fringe players
10 Nov 09 |  Internationals
Burley reeling after Scots loss
14 Nov 09 |  Internationals
Wales to face Scotland in Cardiff
07 Oct 09 |  Internationals
Pick your Wales XI
05 Feb 07 |  Internationals
Wales' international fixtures
22 Aug 07 |  Internationals
Wales' results archive
10 Oct 05 |  Internationals
BBC Sport Wales coverage
03 Feb 09 |  Wales


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