Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson insists her side must take nothing for granted despite holding a 1-0 advantage going into the second leg of their Women's World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Albania on Tuesday. Wales are favourites to move a step closer to a first World Cup after their narrow first-leg success in Shkoder, a result Wilkinson admitted her team "got away with."
A win at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli would give Wales their longest unbeaten run of 10 games. Victory in Albania last week already matched the record nine games without defeat set between November 2013 and August 2014. Wilkinson said she was unaware of the potential landmark until the eve of the match, saying the focus was on the team showing up for each other and delivering to a standard the fans could be proud of.
Wilkinson warned that Albania are "right on the edge of something special" and fight for everything. Wales thrashed Albania 4-0 in Wrexham in April, but the return fixture and the first leg were far less convincing. Wales are ranked 31st in the world, 37 places above Albania, but Wilkinson stressed her players must match their opponents' effort and pride. She also expects a physically demanding contest.
Wales remain without nine regular squad members through injury, including Olivia Clark, Hayley Ladd, Rhiannon Roberts, Ffion Morgan and Ceri Holland. If they progress, Wales are likely to face Norway in a two-legged play-off final in early December, with inter-confederation play-offs possibly to follow next February. Wilkinson said the team is taking it one step at a time.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing