Wales fell to a shock 2-1 defeat in their European Championship semi-final playoff away to Slovakia.
Wales were punished for an abysmal hour, as they conceded two goals in quick succession at the start of the second half. Yet, Ffion Morgan’s 89th minute goal has given Wales hope ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
Here’s how we rate the performance of every Welsh player who stepped out onto the pitch in Poprad.
WALES PLAYER RATINGS
Olivia Clark: 8/10
A real player of the match performance from Clark in this one. As Slovakia began to gather momentum at the end of the first half, the FC Twente keeper made fine save after fine save to keep the scores level. When it came to the goals, she was outdone by two superb strikes, but without Clark, Slovakia could have scored four or five on the night.
Rhian Wilkinson commented: “Liv went abroad, Carrie went abroad, and that’s a huge credit to our players, and Liv is a great example of someone who is showcasing her talents on an international level. She’s a fantastic goalkeeper and always has been, but some of those saves that she made is very much down to the fact she’s playing in competitions like the Champions League now.”
Josie Green: 5/10
The whole defensive unit struggled, and this wasn’t one of Green’s greatest games. While she did progress the ball forward when needed, she got caught in possession and wasn’t able to cover the wide areas when she needed to.
Hayley Ladd: 4/10
At times, Ladd dropped in as a defensive midfielder before transitioning back into a defender, but she never really got going. Poor decision making, getting the ball caught at her feet, her defensive positioning being off, it was a night to forget for the vice-captain. However, it is a performance that reiterates the fact she needs to find regular game time at club level.
Gemma Evans: 5/10
Another who certainly had her ups and her downs in this game. Again, she was left with a lot to do in covering the wide areas and was often beaten for pace. However, she made an excellent tackle towards the end to stop Slovakia from scoring a third.
Charlie Estcourt: 5/10
There is a lot to like about Estcourt’s game. The way she pushes forward and how quickly she can get crosses in is brilliant. But, on the flip side, she was also very eager to go and close down her opponent, and that left a lot of space in behind her that Slovakia exploited. Subbed off at half time.
Slovakia 2-1 Wales: Wales left with glimmer of hope after disappointing performance
Angharad James: 5/10
The midfield was another area that left a lot to be desired on Friday evening. While there were times when James managed to link all three parts of the pitch together, there were other times where she went missing.
Ceri Holland: 4/10
Holland has played so well for so long for Wales, so when she isn’t her usual outstanding best, it is a shock. She never looked comfortable in the middle of the park, didn’t know whether to hold or press, and she never got into the game at all. Subbed off 64th minute.
Lily Woodham: 5/10
Much like Estcourt. When she went forward and offered herself down the wing, there was a lot to like in Woodham’s performance. But she left so much space behind her and Slovakia exploited that time and time again. It did look like she was tired towards the end.
Carrie Jones: 5/10
Since moving to Sweden, Jones has played in a central position, and when she was asked to play more on the wing, she didn’t seem fully confident. She looked a little afraid to take on her marker, and she struggled to create anything. Subbed off 64th minute.
Kayleigh Barton: 6/10
Barton often cut an isolated figure at the top end of the pitch, but with the scraps she was given, she did very well. It did mean she had to work in wide areas a lot, but her constant energy and tenacity was there for all to see. Subbed off 81st minute.
Rachel Rowe: 5/10
Rowe has been one of Wales’ better performing players in this qualification cycle, but this, like many of her teammates, was not her night. She wasn’t able to get on the ball often enough and couldn’t run at the opposition. Subbed off 81st minute.
Alice Griffiths: 6/10
Subbed on at half time. There was perhaps a bit of surprise that Griffiths was the first name to be called off the bench, but she did very well under the circumstances. The Southampton youngster was willing to drive out of the middle of the park and linked others into play.
Rhian Wilkinson commented: “It’s trusting a player who does the simple things very well. Someone put that trust in Sophie Ingle back in the day, and she keeps the game simple, and Alice is very much in the same mould. Having her on meant Angharad could push a little higher. We wanted someone who was able to turn in the pocket, and Alice provided just that for us.”
Jess Fishlock: 6/10
Subbed on 64th minute. You could tell as soon as she entered the field that Fishlock’s quality was well above everyone else’s. But you could also tell she was a player who hadn’t played for a little while. Her assist was magnificent, and hopefully she will be fit to start come Tuesday.
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Ffion Morgan: 7/10
Subbed on 64th minute. I feel like we’ve waited a long time for a performance like this from Morgan. Utilising her speed and trickery well, she never gave the Slovak defence a moment to think, and her goal was so well taken. You can tell that she’s a player in-form.
Ffion Morgan commented: “Every player wants to play 90 minutes, but it’s not the case for everyone and it’s disappointing. I’m one of those players where if I get 20 or 30 minutes, I want to do all I can in that time. Hopefully I get more opportunities in front of goal and in front of Rhian to show I can be important to Wales and I want to be important to Wales.”
Ella Powell: N/A
Subbed on 81st minute. Wasn’t on long enough to make an impact but would like to see her start in the second leg.
Mary McAteer: N/A
Subbed on 81st minute. Wasn’t on long enough to get a rating, however, she does bring something unique to this side off the bench.
Rhian Wilkinson: 4/10
It’s an odd one with Wilkinson. The team she named would be one most people would name, but her tactics seemed all over the place. Yet, she made the right substitutions, but perhaps they came ever so slightly too late. Tuesday will be a big test for the Canadian.
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