BEN NICKS IT CHEST IN TIME!
Woodburn wins it late for Giggsy
BEN WOODBURN chested home an injurytime winner after Ryan Giggs left Gareth Bale and other first-choice players out of Wales’ final friendly before Euro 2020 qualifying.
A much-changed team laboured at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground against Trinidad and Tobago, ranked No.93 in the world.
But Woodburn finally found a way through for Giggs’ fourth win in 10 matches since taking charge.
He wanted to keep Bale, Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen and David Brooks fresh for Sunday’s clash with
Slovakia.
Liverpool’s Woodburn, winning his 10th cap, stepped up in their absence.
Giggs wanted to take Wales away from Cardiff to give fans in the north of the country something to cheer.
But there was not much to get excited about for the 10,326 near capacity crowd in a forgettable first half.
And on International Day of Happiness, Giggs was grim faced for much of the contest.
It could have been even worse had Chris Gunter not cleared a second-half effort from Aubrey David off the line.
Yet there were smiles by the end after Woodburn chested in a cross from Will Vaulks, who impressed on his debut.
Wales will recall their big guns for their opening Euro 2020 qualifier in Cardiff.
They are in Group E with World Cup finalists Croatia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. Skipper Ashley Williams, who started here, is likely to be the only survivor to face Slovakia.
Wales will have to produce a hugely improved display. They had played Trinidad and Tobago only once before, winning 2-1 May 2006, in a game which saw the senior debut for a then 16-year-old Bale.
He is now Wales’ record scorer with 31 goals in 74 appearances, but was in the stands last night. That saw a first cap for Barnsley midfielder Vaulks, while Ryan Hedges, Lee Evans and George Thomas started. Tyler Roberts tested Trinidad keeper Marvin Phillip with a looping header early on and a Ryan Hedges cross resulted in Gunter again forcing a save with a half-volley. George Williams twice fired wide, but Wales moved the ball too slowly and failed to get behind the organised, deep-sitting visitors.
Wales improved after the break, but that was not saying much.
Williams tested Phillip with a rising drive in the 56th minute, but Trinidad could have taken the lead in the 59th minute only for Gunter to clear David’s fierce low shot off the line with sub keeper Adam Davies beaten.
The lively Thomas (above) did head the ball into the net in the 66th minute but it was ruled out for offside.