THE under-21s kept the feel-good factor going for Welsh football as they started their Euro 2017 qualifying campaign with a comfortable home win over Bulgaria.

After watching Gareth Bale and the senior national team outclass Israel in Haifa on Saturday, the youngsters responded with an impressive victory of their own at the Cardiff City Stadium.

An early brace from Bluebirds prospect Tom O’Sullivan and a header from his Cardiff teammate Josh Yorweth sealed the three points within the first 25 minutes, even if they did have to survive a late wobble.

The win means Geraint Williams’ team top their group, sitting above the Bulgarians, Denmark, Romania, Armenia and Luxembourg in the formative table.

The nine group winners qualify directly to the final tournament in Poland, while the four best runners-up advance to the play-offs.

Williams named two Newport boys in his starting XI with Ellis Harrison and Lee Evans both lining up in midfield.

Bristol Rovers winger Harrison began on the left flank and former Newport County AFC star Evans, now at Wolverhampton Wanderers, impressed in the centre.

The early goals both came from Evans picking an astute pass from inside his own half to release the creative talents of Wes Burns.

The Bristol City youngster will be familiar to County fans as he is currently on loan at Cheltenham Town in League Two and scored the opening goal in the 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade on March 13.

But Burns turned provider for O’Sullivan on this occasion as he first crossed from the right for the Cardiff City striker, on loan at Port Vale, to head neatly inside the far post on nine minutes.

And four minutes later Burns cleverly turned his man and laid off for O’Sullivan to smash an unstoppable effort into the top corner and put Wales firmly in charge.

But the game was effectively ended as a contest after 25 minutes when Bluebirds defender Yorweth headed in from a few yards out after Bulgarian goalkeeper Aleksandar Lyubenov had made a hash of collecting Ryan Hedges’ free-kick.

The Bulgarians didn’t have a shot on goal until the 33rd minutes when Kiril Despodov’s effort was well off target.

And Nikola Kolev had the first attempt on target but his shot was easily held by Welsh ‘keeper Christian Dibble.

Otherwise it was one-way traffic and O’Sullivan almost got his hat-trick ten minutes before the break when he headed a Harrison cross from left inches wide of the far post.

Hedges’ cross-shot from the right then curled beyond Lyubenov and onto the post but rebounded to safety.

But the beleaguered Bulgarian keeper did have one good moment on the stroke of half-time as he acrobatically saved Harrison’s shot from distance.

Wales seemed to switch off a little at the start of the second half and they allowed the visitors a glimmer of hope six minutes after the break.

With Joseph Wright lying injured, the Bulgarians played on and Kolev beat Dibble with an impressive shot from the edge of the area that just sneaked inside the post.

At the other end Burns thought he should have had a penalty shortly afterwards but the Belgian referee had other ideas and the Welshman was booked for diving in the box.

Despodov fired high and wide and substitutes Milcho Angelov and Antonio Vutev both tested Dibble as the visitors threatened to make a game of it.

But once fellow sub Bekir Rasim had headed a glorious chance wide with seven minutes remaining, the hosts steadied the ship and held on for victory.

Wales: Dibble, G. Jones, John, Sheehan, Yorweth, Wright (Smith, 55), Hedges, L. Evans, Burns, O’Sullivan (Weeks, 46), Harrison (Wilson, 82)

Subs not used: O’Brien, Shephard, J. Evans, O. Jones

Booked: Burns, Weeks, Sheehan

Bulgaria: Lyubenov, Malinov, Galabov, Popadyin, Despodov (Vutov, 70), Kolev, Chunchukov (Angelov, 46), Iliev, Terziev, Vasilev (Rasim, 46), Marin

Subs not used: Hadzhiev, Kostov, Vitanov, Tsonev

Booked: Vasilev, Galibov

Referee: Bart Vertenten (Belgium)

Argus star man: Wes Burns