TONIGHT’S crunch qualifier against Ireland could see Wales qualify for the World Cup the first time since 1958.

These pictures from the Argus archive show action from the game which booked Wales' place at the finals in Sweden.

Could Chris Coleman's men match that feat tonight?

The game, played on February 5 1958 meant that Wales boss Jimmy Murphy was not with his club side Manchester United for their European Cup tie and so was not involved in the Munich Air Disaster the following night.

In 1958 Murphy’s team – packed with stars like John Charles, Ivor Allchurch and Cliff Jones – reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Sweden.

Murphy’s men had not actually qualified in 1958 but benefited from other teams’ reluctance to play Israel in a play-off and duly dispatched the Israelis over two legs to book their place in Sweden.

Wales began with a 1-1 draw with Mexico thanks to a Charles equaliser. They then drew 1-1 with Hungary, with Allchurch on the scoresheet, and 0-0 with hosts Sweden before winning a play-off 2-1 against the Hungarians with Allchurch and Terry Medwin the scorers.

That saw them progress to the quarter-finals where they came up against eventual champions Brazil and, playing without injured talisman Charles, lost 1-0 to Pele’s solitary strike.

“We were unlucky to lose in the quarter-finals,” said Mel Charles, brother of John.

“Brazil had been beating everybody easily but we did very well, and I still think to this day if my brother had played it might have been different.

“We'd played Hungary the game before and they'd kicked lumps out of John. There was no way he could have played in this game. But I think we hit the post twice, and the crossbar.

“If John had played I'm sure we would have beaten them. He made a hell of a difference to our team, did John. I'm not just saying it because I'm his brother – he was a class act.

“Pele scored the winner, and it must have been the luckiest goal ever because I missed the ball by an inch – he got there just before me – and then it just missed Stuart Williams as well, and trickled in at the far post.”