Playing their first game at a major championship since the 1958 World Cup, Wales took a 10th-minute lead courtesy of Gareth Bale’s fine free-kick, only for Slovakia substitute Ondrej Duda to equalise.
But with nine minutes remaining, Robson-Kanu, released by Reading at the end of the season, scuffed a shot past Matus Kozacik to send Chris Coleman’s side striding towards the last 16.
His strike ended Wales’s four-game winless run and tees the European Championship debutants up perfectly for Thursday’s hotly anticipated second Group B fixture against neighbours England in Lens.
#Euro2016 talking point: Watch as @GarethBale11 gives #WAL the lead https://t.co/TA0ZzbdAo5#WALSVK pic.twitter.com/tbTA0IIzQ3
— Sport360° (@Sport360) June 11, 2016
Here's how #Duda equalised for #SVK pic.twitter.com/k24PF9j3Uc
— Sport360° (@Sport360) June 11, 2016
– JOZEF UHROVSKY, SLOVAKIAOne man team? No chance! Wales showed what Chris Coleman seemed to have known from the off, there is a squad here and they’re not just their holidays. Of course the maestro was always going to have his moment and what a moment it was. After that it was back to game plan from qualification – press high, all across the midfield and take up a high line. For all but 20 minutes of the second-half Wales looked comfortable if not superior and after conceding went again. Finally it was time for Robson-Kanu to impact the game. There is more to come from him, mark my words. They’ll be dancing in the valleys tonight!
Hamsik should have really put away the opening chance. From that moment it felt like it gave Wales a wake-up call and their defence was resilient in the first-half. I mentioned our forwards are our weakness and today was evidence of that. Momentum swung our way after the equaliser and we needed to take advantage but failed. We played too much in the middle of the park where Wales were so well structured. Unfortunately, the loss all but rules out automatic qualification and I don’t think we have the fire power to be placed in the best third spot with the likes of England and Russia still to play.