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Wales turn deficit around


Wales 2 (Fishlock 38, Holland 112) Slovakia 0

(aet); Wales win 3-2 on aggregate
att: 10,504; at the Cardiff City Stadium

Wales made it through to the play-off final for Euro 2005 as an extra time strike by Ceri Holland turned the tie around in their favour against a very
defensive Slovakia side at the Cardiff City Stadium.


In truth, Rhian Wilkinson’s side made heavy weather against largely limited opponents and needed the extra period after squandering a number of good opportunities and having two goals disallowed for offside during normal time.


The pattern of the game was established almost from the start with Wales having the vast majority of possession and pressing forward, whilst Slovakia looked keen to sit back on their one-goal lead. Apart from a long range free kick by Patricia Hmirova which swerved wide of the target, play was almost exclusively down the other end with the lively runs of Ffion Morgan getting her in behind the Slovakian defence.


Morgan shot wide after Rachel Rowe missed her kick from a Rhiannon Roberts cross and captain Angharad James dragged an effort wide as chances began to arrive and Maria Korenciova, whose handling was impressive all night, made saves from Morgan and Lily Woodham.


As half time approached, Wales got the breakthrough they craved and it came from a familiar source. James slipped a neat through ball into the path of Jessica Fishlock who dinked the ball over the oncoming Korenciova and Wales were ahead.


Korenciova made a fine save two minutes, coming quickly off her line to block an effort from Fishlock as she broke through again and the veteran striker had a great opportunity moments before half time, but this time she hesitated and was crowded out by the Slovakian defence.


Wales were quickly on the front foot at the start of the second half and had three golden chances to double their lead within three minutes of the restart. First, Holland missed the target from the edge of the area following a cut back from Woodham, then Morgan also shot wide from ten yards. Moments later, a Fishlock pass put Morgan clear through on goal but she lacked the composure which had served her so well in the first leg and sliced her shot horribly off target.


Fishlock twice had the ball in the net with an offside flag ruling out the goal on each occasion, meaning the frustrations continued for Wales as they still struggled to find the final breakthrough for what was likely to be a decisive second. Slovakia meanwhile had shown precisely nothing as an attacking threat but the introduction of Klaudia Fabova up front did give them more of a cutting edge.


As the half wore on, neither side was able to fashion any clear cut opportunities, the game drifting into an extra thirty minutes for two rapidly tiring sides.


Slovakia started the extra period brightly and had their best spell of the game, winning their first corners of the match but without really threatening the Welsh goal. Wales themselves had lost some of their second half impetus with fatigue taking over and half time arrived with penalties now looking a distinct possibility.


Rhian Wilkinson gambled at this point by bringing on Hannah Cain up front and dropping Fishlock - now running on fumes but needing to stay out there - back into a deep midfield position. The gamble was to pay off but not after a huge scare, when Wales lost possession and Tamara Moravkova was put through on goal with only Olivia Clark to beat but she chose to shoot early and dragged her effort wide.


It had been a rare sortie forward by the visitors but the miss proved to be very costly with eight minutes remaining as Fishlock’s pass released Kayleigh Barton on goal; her shot came back off the post but Holland was following up and tucked home the rebound. Welsh celebrations were cut short by another offside flag but were merely delayed - a VAR check revealed that there was no offside and Wales were in front in the tie for the first time.


There were no scares for Wales from this point and they comfortably saw the game out and thoughts can now turn to facing the Republic of Ireland in the play-off final next month.


Wales: Olivia Clark, Rhiannon Roberts, Lily Woodham (sub Josie Green 90mins), Alice Griffiths (sub Hannah Cain 105mins), Gemma Evans, Hayley Ladd, Ceri Holland, Angharad James, Ffion Morgan (sub Mary McAteer 83mins), Jessica Fishlock, Rachel Rowe (sub Kayleigh Barton 83mins). Subs not used: Laura O’Sullivan-Jones, Safia Middleton-Patel, Mayzee Davies, Charlie Estcourt, Mared Griffiths, Lois Joel, Carrie Jones, Ella Powell.   


Slovakia: Maria Korenciova, Andrea Horvathova, Jana Vojtekova, Diana Bartovicova, Kristina Kosikova, Maria Mikolajova (sub Patricia Fischerova 76mins), Sofia Skerdova (sub Laura Retkesova 65mins), Ludmila Matavkova (sub Andrea Bogorova 116mins), Martina Surnovska (sub Kristina Panakova 81mins), Patricia Hmirova (sub Tamara Moravkova 65mins), Darina Hruzikova (sub Klaudia Fabova 55mins). Subs not used: Marina Stefanikova, Martina Geletova, Aneta Surova, Michaela Ferencova, Victoria Kalaberova, Katarina Vrediokova.



 

Maria Novoa Torrente of Boroughmuir Thistle battles with Lauren Evans of Livingston  (Malcolm McKenzie/SWPL)