Wales will need a rousing response after stalemate in Slovakia
If not a must-win, this was at least a must-not-lose for Wales. On that most basic level, Ryan Giggs’s side got what they came for in Slovakia, courtesy of an unlikely goalscoring hero and an inexperienced defensive pairing which remained firm under second-half pressure.
After three consecutive away defeats, there were positives for Wales to take from this draw in Trnava. There will also be some regret at their inability to turn one point into three on an enjoyably open evening when both teams might have felt worthy of a win.
For Wales, the solitary point puts greater onus on this weekend’s meeting with Croatia, the leaders of this European Championship qualifying group.
The might of the Cardiff atmosphere will be needed and so, remarkably, will the might of Kieffer Moore, the giant Wales striker who has emerged from nowhere to suddenly become a unique threat for his national side.
At 27, the Wigan forward has had to wait for his chance in the international game.
When he was trundling around the lower leagues, he would never have thought it would come. Yet here he was, leading the Welsh line on his second international appearance, flanked by Real Madrid and Manchester United forwards, and scoring the opening goal.
If Juraj Kucka had not struck a fine equaliser for the hosts, it could have been an even sweeter night for him and his manager.
This first international goal capped a quite remarkable rise for Moore, who had worked his way up through the amateur ranks – via a part-time job as a lifeguard and an appearance for England’s C team – before making his Wales debut in a friendly last month.
His header here was his first goal in any competition since he scored for Barnsley against Bristol Rovers in League One in May.
“He occupies the two centrehalves and he gives us a different option,” Giggs said.
Moore provided a platform for Gareth Bale and Daniel James, yet Wales were unable to make the most of their openings in the second half, particularly after Slovakia’s Norbert Gyomber was shown a second yellow card.
“It could have gone either way,” Giggs said. “After they scored the crowd were up, so we had to ride the storm a little bit. I am bit disappointed that with the transitions we had we could not convert them into goals.”
The defensive effort, facing a Slovakian bombardment after half-time, owed much to the untested partnership of Joe Rodon and Tom Lockyer.
They had just one competitive start between them before this match but, despite a nervy opening, they provided a solidity at the back which has too often been missing in recent games for Wales.
It has been reasonable to wonder whether Giggs needs to find a more settled defence. In nine competitive matches under his management there have been 16 changes to the back four.
Lockyer and Rodon certainly showed enough here to make their partnership worth trying again, although Croatia will represent a greater test of their ability this weekend.
Wales began the game well. Connor Roberts was in an adventurous mood at right-back, while Bale was typically sharp ahead of him. Bale almost struck the opener from a Roberts cross, straining with his neck and powering a header onto the Slovakian crossbar.
Within a minute, Moore had gone one step further. The goal originated from the turbocharged feet of James, one of few positives for Manchester United this season, as the winger breezed past a defender before clipping the ball across. At 6ft 5in tall, Moore barely needed to jump as he steered his low header back across goal and into the corner of Martin Dubravka’s net.
At the other end Wales were in need of Wayne Hennessey as the home side forged a handful of halfchances. It was all a little too open for Wales’ liking, especially after they had taken the lead, and the equaliser arrived soon after the restart. Roberts cleared at the back post but his header travelled only as far as Kucka, whose volley crashed through the red shirts.
The introduction of Harry Wilson helped Wales as their promise briefly threatened to turn to panic. Giggs’s side would have struck a second, against the run of play, had Moore’s close-range flick not rebounded off Dubravka’s legs. Rodon was then inches away himself, watching in anguish as his header deflected over, before Gyomber’s red card provided them with another surge of hope. It was not to be, but Welsh dreams are still alive for now.