Wales, not rated as good enough to play in the £1m Alfred Dunhill Cup for the past three years, moved within touching distance of the semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Germany at St Andrews yesterday.

Having already beaten England 3-0, the Welsh trio of Ian Woosnam, Phil Price and David Park can now afford to lose 2-1 to Scotland today and still make it into the last four.

''It's a nice position to be in, but I still don't think it will be that easy,'' said Price after sinking a vital 12-foot birdie putt on the final green to beat Thomas Gogele.

With captain Ian Woosnam winning his battle with Bernhard Langer - he also birdied the last, but in his case to win by two - it did not matter that David Park was beaten by a 19th-hole birdie from Sven Struver.

In the other group one match top seeds Scotland got their first victory in seven attempts against England.

But captain Colin Montgomerie went off to address a group of businessmen knowing that the Scots can beat Wales 3-0 but still fail to progress if Germany whitewash England.

''It's never a good thing relying on England against Germany. We might have to go and cheer for them,'' joked Montgomerie, who had himself rolled in a curling 15-footer to beat Brian Davis.

Andrew Coltart had his 12th win in 16 games, thrashing England captain Jamie Spence by five, but Gary Orr, having matched Montgomerie's closing putt, saw his pitch to the first extra hole spin back into the burn and lost to Roger Chapman.

Like England, Ireland are out of the running for the title, as are America, unseeded for the first time in the event.

The Irish lost 3-0 to fourth seeds South Africa and despite their opening victory over fifth seeds New Zealand cannot now go through.

The United States, meanwhile, suffered their second successive defeat to Argentina, leaving Group Four as a straight fight between the South Americans and Australia.

Wales were last in the semi-finals in 1991 and lost that only when Price was beaten at the fifth extra hole by Swede Mats Lanner.

But they have returned as the eighth seeds and Woosnam was able to avenge his defeat at the hands of Langer in April's Seve Ballesteros Trophy at Sunningdale.

Before going off for further treatment on a neck injury, Woosnam said: ''It was nice to get one back on Bernhard and it will be a good match tomorrow.''

He plays Montgomerie in the first game of the day at 9am, followed by Park against Coltart and then Price, runner-up to Tiger Woods at the NEC world championship in August, against Orr.

''It's only taken 16 years to beat England, but we've done it at last,'' said Coltart.

The last meeting was in the 1992 final and England set off in the same determined mood. But it was to no avail.

''A few things have been written and said about this England team and I was totally disgusted by one report in particular,'' said Chapman.

That was a reference to a headline of ''Is This The Worst England Golf Team Ever?'' which mirrored one about the England soccer team earlier in the week.

Chapman said Spence's wife was in tears and added: ''We were pretty fired up as a team last night as a result because we wear our jerseys with pride this week.

''I think we can all hold our heads up high after this match despite losing.''

Pride is all they have left to play for against the Germans today, however.

Ireland were in with a good chance against South Africa coming to the closing stretch, but 47-year-old Des Smyth, in for the absent Darren Clarke, bogeyed the last to lose by two to a 66 from David Frost.

After watching Frost's final drive almost go out of bounds by the first tee, Smyth duffed his pitch and therefore was relying on team-mates Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington.

McGinley's opponent Retief Goosen, two ahead with three to play, bogeyed the 16th and 17th to fall back level, but won with a 19th hole birdie, while Harrington, one behind Ernie Els with three to go, bogeyed the 16th and could not fight back.

''Our best wasn't good enough and it's a case of individual honour tomorrow (against France),'' said Harrington. ''We're all disappointed.''

The United States found second seeds Argentina too strong.

Larry Mize lost 70-72 to Eduardo Romero, then John Daly, 424th in the world, shot the second worst score of the day, a three-over-par 75, and lost by two to Jose Coceres.

Tom Lehman did at least break par, but Angel Cabrera returned a 68 to complete the whitewash by three.

''This is not what we come here for,'' said an unhappy Lehman