Craig Bellamy was full of praise for teenage defender Dylan Lawlor after the Cardiff City defender delivered a mature performance in Wales’ gritty 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan in Astana on Thursday.
The 19-year-old was thrust into the starting line-up at short notice following Joe Rodon’s injury withdrawal and responded with a display that belied his inexperience.
Lawlor, who only made his Cardiff debut six months ago, had started just eight senior matches for his club before being handed his first international cap.
Yet in Astana, he looked at home on the biggest stage.
“I was beyond impressed with Dylan. What a player,” said Bellamy.
“He was just so impressive. What a good player – and we needed him to be.
“We’re fully aware of the pull-outs, but it’s the squad that matters. Joe Rodon was missing today, and he’s such an immense player for us.
“You look at that and think, ‘how are we going to cope without Joe?’ This performance from Dylan helps.
“We now have this sort of player underneath Joe. Dylan is going to rival anyone.
“He’s a big plus to come out of this trip. We gained a big player from this.”
Lawlor’s composure and positioning were key in a second half when Kazakhstan, roared on by a lively home crowd, pressed desperately for an equaliser.
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Karl Darlow was called into action several times, tipping Galymzhan Kenzhebek’s long-range strike onto the bar before Serikzhan Muzhikov clipped the woodwork with the final kick of the match.
But Lawlor, alongside the experienced Chris Mepham, played a crucial role in helping Wales withstand the pressure.
It was a night of milestones for Wales.
Kieffer Moore marked his 50th cap with the decisive goal, pouncing in the 24th minute after Liam Cullen’s header from a Harry Wilson free-kick had been saved.
That strike was Moore’s 15th for his country, drawing him level with the great John Charles.
Mepham also joined the 50-cap club, while Moore became the first Wrexham player to feature for Wales since 2008.
Yet despite the win, Bellamy admitted the performance was far from perfect.
Wales began brightly but lost control in the second half, with Kazakhstan, ranked 114th in the world, twice denied by the crossbar.
“The celebrations at the end told you what the players thought,” Bellamy said.
“It was relief more than joy. But it’s about results, and this was a big one.”
The victory lifted Wales to the top of Group J, though their stay may prove brief.
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North Macedonia and Belgium both have games in hand and remain favourites to contest first place.
Wales, who lost 4-3 to Belgium in June, still face the Red Devils in Cardiff next month.
To have a chance of qualifying automatically for the 2026 World Cup, they will likely need to win their remaining fixtures and hope rivals slip up.
If not, a play-off route awaits – the same path that carried them to Qatar in 2022, ending a 64-year wait for a World Cup appearance.
