Lessons to be learned as Wales chase top spot
Wales kept their qualifying campaign on track with victory in Albania, but better is required if they are to reach a first Women's World Cup.
Sophie Ingle is the second Wales player to reach 150 caps after Jess Fishlock [FAW] There were balloons in the Wales dressing room to mark Sophie Ingle's 150th international appearance. It must have been a relief, therefore, that Wales did just enough on the pitch at Albania's Elbasan Arena to ensure the party was not ruined. Ingle danced with her team-mates after Rhiannon Roberts' goal secured a victory which keeps their bid to reach a first Women's World Cup on track.
But this was a celebration of Ingle's sparkling Wales career rather than a Wales performance which was very much short on sparkle. Rhian Wilkinson acknowledged that it was a "hard day", breathing a sigh of relief having seen her team "figure out a way to get three points". That is the bottom line for Wales, who will not be worrying about a scruffy display in Albania should they be boarding a plane to Brazil come June 2027.
But Wilkinson's players will also be aware that better performances than this will be required if they are to end the nation's wait for a first appearance at a Women's World Cup. [FAW] "It was about the three points but lessons need to be learned," former Wales striker Gwennan Harries told Match of the Day Wales. Wilkinson's side had overwhelmed Albania in a 4-0 win in Wrexham four days earlier, when the hosts' only frustration was that they did not score more goals.
But the return fixture had a very different look, with Wales struggling for fluency in possession as Albania sat deep but carried a threat on the counter-attack. "At the minute, we're probably not seeing Wales at their best and we've struggled at times to break down teams who sit back," said another ex-Wales forward Helen Ward on BBC Radio Wales. "That's where a Jess Fishlock can do something magic.