Wales clearly have a fair amount of work still to do if they are to keep their Euro 2025 dream alive.
Rhian Wilkinson’s team were certainly competitive for much of the evening, but didn’t quite hit top gear against an in-form Republic of Ireland side at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Lily Woodham put the hosts in front before Ruesha Littlejohn’s audacious 35-yard strike restored parity, and the resulting stalemate leaves this play-off final finely poised heading into the second leg.
There was a lot for the record-breaking crowd of 16,845 to like about this performance, particularly the way in which Wales stood up to a physically powerful Irish line-up.
But they will undeniably have to find another level in Dublin on Tuesday night if they are to book their place at Euro 2025.
Both managers had stressed this was likely to be a contest of fine margins, and that prediction felt more or less bang on the money during what was a real arm-wrestle at times.
Ireland’s Julie Russell sent an effort off-target early on as the visitors looked to capitalise on the visible nerves of their hosts, but Wales soon started to find their stride.
Jess Fishlock had been compared to Garth Bale by her boss in the build-up to this one, a claim that probably stands up given the scale of the Seattle Reign star’s importance and influence on this team over the years.
Indeed, there would be an inescapable sense of injustice if she were denied the chance to follow in his footsteps and pull on the red of Wales at a major international tournament before hanging up her boots. A potent and obvious sub-plot to the trip to the Aviva Stadium.
It was subsequently of little surprise to see her at the heart of her side’s opening goal. The 37-year-old busting down the right
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