Gemma Grainger encouraged by Wales performance against Canada

Gemma Grainger was encouraged by Wales’s performance despite falling to a 3-0 loss at the hands of Canada at Leckwith Stadium.

Deanne Rose raced onto a through ball and fired into the corner to put the visitors in the lead on 25 minutes.

Substitute Evelyne Viens added a second just before the hour before Jessie Fleming curled in a third from the edge of the box.

But there were plenty of positives to take for Grainger in her first game in charge of Wales.

“I assess that one as a really competitive game,” Grainger said. “The focus was always going to be on how we performed.”

“We had a game plan and our focus was to deliver that game plan, Canada are a top ten team, and these are the kind of teams we want to play.

“We competed for periods of time in the game, and not only compete but dominate a top ten team.”

One of the biggest problems for Wales was creating chances, they failed to register a single shot on target in the game.

In comparison, Canada registered six shots on target and were clinical scoring three times.

Wales’s best chance came on the hour mark when Natasha Harding was taken out by the Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé, but the referee waved away their penalty appeal.

“I think we were missing the end product tonight; we spoke as a group in terms of how we want to keep building on that.

“Some of the football I’ve seen us play was positive, and I think we are going to learn from playing teams like this and that’s exactly what we will take into Tuesday.

It wasn’t just Grainger who was making her bow for Wales on Friday night.

Liverpool’s Ceri Holland started in the midfield fresh off the back of being named Championship Player of the Month. 

Esther Morgan also earned her first cap as a substitute when she replaced Lily Woodham at left-back on 67 minutes.

“It was fantastic seeing Ceri Holland play her debut game for Wales and to see the performance she put in.

“Esther came on as a substitute to make her debut, preparing the youth for the future, and for currently as well, is a huge positive for me.

“For such young players to step on to the pitch to make their debut and perform the way they did against some really established players was exciting.”