Wilkinson pleased as Wales find a way to win

Rhian Wilkinson was pleased to see Wales grind out victory despite a below-par performance in their Women's World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Wales were short of their best against opponents they had thrashed 4-0 in Wrexham last Tuesday.

But on a nervy night in Elbasan, Rhiannon Roberts scored the only goal as Wales battled to keep their bid to reach Brazil 2027 on track.

"Today was a hard day," said Wales head coach Wilkinson.

"I think we struggled in moments of the game, but I am really pleased that we found a way to win.

"I think that is the mark of a good team, that on off-days – and today was an off-day – we managed to figure out a way to get three points."

Wales' scrappy triumph means they remain second in Group B1, behind the Czech Republic – who were 4-1 winners against Montenegro earlier on Saturday – on goal difference.

Wilkinson's side go to Montenegro in their next qualifying game on Saturday, 5 June before finishing the group phase against the Czechs in Cardiff four days later.

The likelihood is that the battle to finish top of the group – and therefore secure a more favourable path in the play-offs later this year – will come down to the final game.

"It is a hard group," Wilkinson added. "We have to make sure we show up in every game and I think we learned that today, that there are no gimmes, no givens in this group.

"We have got to make sure we earn the three points."

Roberts' first-half strike – which Albania felt should have been disallowed for handball – settled a contest in which Wales laboured in possession for long spells.

There were defensive scares too, with the home side twice striking the woodwork.

Wilkinson said Albania deserved "huge credit" for giving Wales a far sterner challenge than they had faced in the reverse fixture.

"They executed their game-plan fantastically well and made life very difficult for us," she added.

"They played a sitting five who didn't jump out as much. The midfield were the ones jumping out which gave us different types of spaces that took us a bit too long to figure out.

"In general I think there were a lot of similarities [to last Tuesday's game], but we just weren't as sharp."