Richard Jolly reporting

Rob Earnshaw's debut goal earned Wales a prestigious win against three-times World Champions Germany in a match which was scarcely ideal preparation for this summer's tournament for Rudi Voller.

The Cardiff striker swapped Ninian Park for the Millennium Stadium to score in the opening minute of the second half and earn Mark Hughes' side a deserved win against an uninspired German outfit.

Though Voller's side twice hit the woodwork in the closing minutes and had the better of an uneventful first half, their only real threat came from a direct style of football and the the introduction of giant striker Carsten Jancker.

Earnshaw - well over a foot shorter - nonetheless terrorised the Germans, forming a fine combination with John Hartson, and meriting his first international goal in surely the finest win of Hughes' brief managerial career.

There was plenty of cause for optimism, not just for Hughes, but also for Mick McCarthy and his lively front duo of Robbie Keane and Damien Duff ahead of their Group E meeting on June 5.

The flaws England exposed in the German rearguard - a lack of pace and a tendency to to defend too far up the pitch - were in evidence again, with Earnshaw the grateful benficiary.

And when Wales broke from midfield, it was again pace - in the form of Ryan Giggs and Simon Davies - which troubled the Germans, the wide midfielders enjoying the space behind the German wing backs.

Germany's most creative player, Sebastian Deisler, was deployed at right wing back and his attacking impact was negligible with Giggs' presence a constant cause for caution from the Hertha Berlin player.

With Dietmar Hamann and Jens Jeremies together in a somewhat defensive midfield, there was little support for the strikers - and the lively Miroslav Klose fared better than the ageing Oliver Bierhoff.

Though the Germans were missing their Bayer Leverkusen contingent - and the driving runs of Michael Ballack in particular, it was scarcely an encouraging display from Voller's side.

Skipper Oliver Kahn was Germany's best player and he produced a superb ninth-minute block to deny Giggs after a lofted through ball by Rob Earnshaw.

But Germany responded and Christian Ziege's deflected effort flew over the bar before the quick Klose could have been awarded a peanlty when Andy Melville tugged him back.

Thomas Linke headed a Ziege corner over the bar, Oliver Bierhoff headed well wide and Didi Hamann hit a long-range free kick pas the post as Mark Crossley was not troubled.

Giggs' shot was Wales' only effort of the half though Kahn flapped at Mark Delaney's right-wing cross and Earnshaw's poor first touch let him down when Hartson found him with a cross-pitch ball.

But Earnshaw broke the deadlock just 12 seconds after the restart. Hartson flicked on a long ball, the Cardiff striker accelerated between Ziege and Metzelder and found the top corner of Kahn's goal.

And Kahn was at full stretch to deny Davies a minute later when Giggs found the Spurs midfielder who was able to run unchallenged from the half-way line to the penalty box before the German skipper denied him.

Earnshaw beat Kahn again, but his second strike was chalked off because of an offside flag. But the Germans' tormentor this time was Hartson, controlling the ball on his chest and turning two defenders before setting up his strike partner. Though Kahn blocked his first effort at point blank range, the Cardiff man fired in the rebound.

And Kahn had to be alert and acrobatic again to prevent Earnshaw reaching Ziege's weak back header.

The introduction of Gerald Asamoah gave the Germans greater threat on the right flank and Speed was cautioned for hauling back the Schalke player.

Andy Melville kicked away a Jeremies shot before the arrival of Jancker and, predictably enough, a rather direct approach from Rudi Voller's side. Replacement Marco Bode headed a Jeremies free kick beyond the despairing Crossley and on to the bar.

The giant Jancker, who has not scored in the Bundesliga all season, swivelled to slam to slam a volley against Crossley's post

And as an increasingly ill-tempered German side pushed forward, Wales had further chances on the counter-attack as Giggs sprinted 70 yards to cross for Earnshaw, who could not quite direct his header at Kahn's goal.

But Wales' dream night was complete when Chris Coleman completed his comeback from two broken legs with a late substitute appearance.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Rob Earnshaw (Wales) - A debut to savour for the Second Division striker. He and John Hartson could be Wales' best strike force since Hughes and Rush.

Wales: Crossley, Delaney, Page, Melville, Speed, Davies, Savage, Pembridge, Giggs, Hartson, Earnshaw.
Subs: Coyne, Barnard, Taylor, Evans, Coleman, Weston, Jenkins.
Germany: Kahn, Linke, Metzelder, Heinrich, Ziege, Jeremies, Hamann, Frings, Deisler, Klose, Bierhoff. Subs: Lehmann,
Jancker, Asamoah, Kehl, Ernst, Bode, Bierofka, Freier, Rahn, Schindzielorz, Borowski.
Referee: Roy Olsen (Norway)