Ceri Holland praises Cymru after dominant World Cup qualifying win

Ceri Holland felt Cymru got the result their performance warranted after a dominant display in Llanelli secured all three points in their first home World Cup qualifier.

Rhian Wilkinson’s side returned to Parc y Scarlets on Saturday afternoon for the first time in almost two years and delivered an emphatic performance, defeating Montenegro 6-1 to move top of Group B1 on goal difference.

Hannah Cain and teenage forward Mared Griffiths both scored twice, while Rachel Rowe and Sophie Ingle also found the net as Cymru secured their first win of the qualifying campaign.

“Yeah really positive result, we knew they’d probably sit in a little bit and we’d have the ball,” she told BBC Wales post-match. “In the first half we obviously scored five goals but we could have been a little bit tidier. The second half, it was a tough surface, and credit to Montenegro they made it difficult for us.

“It was really important to score the goals we did tonight. Goal difference means a lot in the group so we have to be mindful of that. It has been a positive camp, a point away at Czech [Republic] was always going to be hard and then a win here tonight.”

The result followed Cymru’s draw away to Czechia earlier in the week, thanks to Elise Hughes’ late equaliser, meaning Wilkinson’s side ended the camp unbeaten.

Holland emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum as players now return to club football before the next round of qualifiers in April.

“It’s crucial we carry momentum now into the next run of fixtures,” she admitted. “We obviously go away back to our clubs now for a few weeks then come back in and it’ll be the same again – complete focus on the two matches. We’ve put ourselves in good position and we’ve got to look after ourselves now and make sure we’re in the best shape for them matches come April.”

One of the standout performers on the night was Griffiths, who scored twice on her first competitive start for Wilkinson’s side. The forward recently celebrated her 18th birthday and continues to emerge as one of the brightest prospects in Welsh football.

And Holland admitted she has been hugely impressed by the young attacker’s confidence.

“I thought she was fantastic tonight, I’ve got to be honest,” she added. “She’s got so much confidence and it’s so nice to see. She’s been really good in a welsh shirt and she’s going to be really big for us going forward.”

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