Jayne Ludlow insists Wales have taken another step – rather than a stumble – towards making the UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 finals after their goalless draw in Northern Ireland.
The stalemate in Belfast leaves Wales four points behind leaders Norway after being held to a draw for the second time in the group by the Northern Irish, who drew 2-2 in Newport earlier in the campaign.
Manager Ludlow’s side welcome Norway on April 14, four days after facing the Faroe Islands, and then have to travel to the highly-rated Norwegians for their last game after hosting Belarus.
But although the odds appear stacked against automatic qualification, Ludlow says her team are not yet playing for second-place and the play-offs.
“There are lots of positives,” said Ludlow after watching her team create the better openings in Belfast.
“We defended really well, kept a clean sheet away from home and four games in we are unbeaten and we are pleased.
“We competed well, we dug-in at times but we also played some great football.
“We have two Norway games. We look forward to the challenge come April and further into the New Year. We won’t concede, definitely not.
“We look at that performance and say ‘we are progressing.’ The result might not say that right now, but the level of performance was much better than we have produced in the last few months,” she explained.
“The positive is we are creating the chances. I am really proud of them and it has been a really good campaign so far.”
Northern Ireland: Flaherty, Newborough (McKenna, 57 minutes), Nelson, Hutton, Vance, McCarron, Furness, McFadden (Callaghan, 79 minutes), Bell (McGuinness, 80 minutes), Wade, Magill. Perry, Burrows, Finnegan, Kelly, McMaster, Howe, White, Caldwell.
Wales: O’Sullivan, Dykes, Roberts, Ladd, Hughes Evans, 54 mins), Wynne, Ingle, J Green, Rowe, K Green (Ward, 82 minutes), James. Subs: Skinner, Clarke, Jones, Francis-Jones, Lawrence, Nolan, Walters.
