Wales fell to a chastening home defeat to Armenia at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday night
Wales suffered arguably one of their lowest days of the Rob Page era after going down to a shock 4-2 defeat at the hands of Armenia at Cardiff City Stadium – their first home defeat in a European Championship qualifying campaign for 12 years.
A well-taken goal from Daniel James after 10 minutes, his sixth in a Wales shirt, looked to have set the hosts up nicely in front of a sell-out crowd, but they were pegged back just a few moments later when Lucas Zelarayan turned home.
And the Red Wall was silenced just after the half-hour mark, as Grant-Leon Ranos ghosted his way into the box to power a header past Danny Ward.
READ MORE: Wales player ratings vs Armenia as defenders have shockers and Moore sees red on horrible night
Ranos was on hand again to fire home just after the break as things skipped bad, worse, and straight to disastrous for Wales.
Harry Wilson did offer some glimmer of hope by stabbing home a few moments later, but any slither of a comeback was quickly extinguished when Zelarayan curled home his second of the night, after Ranos had previously struck the post.
It's the first time Wales have tasted defeat in a home European Championship qualifier since going down at the hands of England in 2011, and the shocked expressions on the Wales bench told all you needed to know about what was, in the end, an utterly wretched performance.
As too did Kieffer Moore's late red card. The striker was dismissed late on for kicking out at Ognjen Chancharevich
Wales will know they have to offer up an acceptable response when they travel to Turkey on Monday, but this performance will undoubtedly go down as a damaging one in terms of their Euro 2024 hopes, although it's important not to take too much away from Armenia, who in contrast were excellent.
Page made two changes from the side that triumphed over Latvia last time out, with Brennan Johnson drafted in as part of a hugely attacking line-up against a side many would, to be frank, have expected to beat comfortably.
It initially looked like a long night for the visitors, as Moore had an early header deflected wide, and at first Armenia couldn't live with the towering Bournemouth striker.
But it was James, so often Moore's supporting artist, who put Wales in front.
Armenia were convinced they should have had a free-kick following Joe Rodon's admittedly robust challenge in the middle of the park, but their protests fell on deaf ears as Ethan Ampadu's perfectly weighted pass found Johnson, and he cut back a low ball for the onrushing James to sweep home.
Delight for the Red Wall, but the visitors showed little sign of rolling over at Cardiff City Stadium.
Eduard Spertsyan sent a stooping header just wide as his side came close to an almost instant response, and Wales failed to heed that warning.
A nicely worked move saw Nair Tiknizyan gallop away down the left, and found Zelarayan inside what felt like a chasm of space inside the Wales box, with the resulting near-post finish leaving Danny Ward with no chance.
Wales showed frustratingly little interest in pressing a lively Armenian front three during what would turn out to be one of the most horrific opening 45 minutes of football of the Page era.
Zelarayan, 10 minutes after restoring parity, was once again afforded too much time in the edge of the box after Rodon had been dispossessed, and curled in an inviting cross between Ben Davies and Chris Mepham for Ranos to head home.
Another defensive horror show, but at the other end, Wales did cause problems, with the palms of visiting goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich enough to keep out Johnson's rasping drive on the edge of the box.
But defensively, Wales remained alarmingly shaky. Connor Roberts, not for the first time, was turned inside out by Tiknizyan on the left, who teed up for Ranos to feed Barseghyan on the edge of the box.
Thankfully, his effort curled wide.
Moore then warmed the palms of the keeper with a low drive at the other end, before Rodon glanced a header agonisingly wide.
Rodon missed the target with his head again five minutes after the break, failing to keep his effort down following Wilson's teasing free-kick.
Artak Dashyan then went up the other end to drill a low effort wide moments later, but the visitors would soon increase their advantage, and deservedly so it has to be said.
Another defensive mishap saw Ranos latch onto a simple ball over the top of the back line, and he then applied a smart finish.
The introduction of Brooks from the bench, his first appearance since his recovery from cancer, provided a brief moment of positivity, and when Wilson stabbed home, some may have felt a comeback was on the cards.
Ranos had other ideas, mind. Indeed, he would have had a hat-trick were it not for the post, but Armenia would eventually put the game to bed 15 minutes from time.
Joe Morrell was dispossessed too easily by Ugocgukwu Iwu, who then fed Zelarayan, and he curled an impressive effort into the top corner.
Moore was then dismissed for kicking out at the keeper during a scramble in the box just moments later.
A miserable night for Page, who will understandably face criticism for this performance, most notably for being too slow to change a system that clearly wasn't working. How he responds will now be the most important thing.
The boos at full time mean Monday's clash in Turkey just got much, much bigger.
Wales: Ward; Roberts, Rodon, Mepham, Davies; Ampadu, Ramsey (c) (Morrell 67); James (Broadhead 82), Wilson (Bradshaw 83), Johnson (Brooks 71); Moore
Subs n/u: Hennessey, A. Davies, Fox, N.Williams, Harris, J.James, Cabango, Cullen
Armenia: Chancharevich; Dashyan, Calisir (Haroyan 62), Arutiunian, Mkrtchyan; Iwu, Spertsyan (c), Tiknizyan; Barseghyan (Bichakhchyan 63), Zelarayan (Briasco 76), Ranos (Serobyan 88)
Subs: Buchnev, Beglaryan, Shaghoyan, Davidyan, Margaryan, Harutyunyan, Wbeymar, Piloyan