Caitlin Foord’s Late Winner Sinks Wales To Deny Jess Fishlock A Fitting Farewell

Australia’s preparations for adjacent year’s location Asian Cup continued pinch a tight 2-1 triumph complete Wales astatine Cardiff City Stadium.

While Sam Kerr made her long-awaited return to nan broadside – nan striker’s first quality for nan Matildas for 725 days – it was nan defender Courtney Nevin and nan winger Caitlin Foord who scored for Australia, while a debut extremity by nan teen Mared Griffiths helped Wales bid farewell to their skipper and leader, Jess Fishlock.

Making her record-breaking 166th quality for nan side, Fishlock –wearing a rainbow captain’s armband – blinked backmost tears arsenic nan stadium roared nan anthem earlier nan last lucifer that brought her storied 19-year world profession to a close.

Australia had power successful nan early stages, pinch nan returning Katrina Gorry rocketing a changeable disconnected nan barroom successful nan 4th minute. Kerr took respective minutes to get a touch of nan ball, pinch astir of nan momentum coming down nan near done nan in-form Foord.

Unforced errors and misplaced passes allowed Wales to get a foothold successful nan crippled pinch Fishlock and nan Liverpool winger Ceri Holland astatine nan bosom of nan location side’s astir convincing chances.

A punishment outcry was waved distant by nan referee successful nan 17th infinitesimal aft Holland tumbled aft a situation by Kaitlyn Torpey, moments aft Fishlock had sliced a changeable complete nan bar. Shortly afterwards, a mix-up betwixt Gorry and Teagan Micah almost led to Holland poking nan shot into nan net.

Just arsenic Wales were gaining confidence, Australia collapsed nan deadlock. Nevin rifled a debased free-kick into nan container which missed everybody – including nan lunging Kerr – to bounce into nan nett for nan left-back’s first world goal.

Wales almost responded aft nan restart arsenic a textbook slide-tackle by Fishlock connected Gorry sent nan shot to nan sprinting Hannah Cain, only for nan striker to overcook her touch earlier tamely toe-poking it into Micah’s arms.

Mared Griffiths jumps for joyousness aft scoring connected her debut for Wales. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Both sides exchanged periods of controlled possession passim nan first half, but struggled creating chances. Hayley Raso, captaining nan Matildas connected her 100th cap, had respective crosses blocked while Wales were regularly rebuffed by Australia’s centre-back pairing of Clare Hunt and Winonah Heatley. By half-time, some teams had conscionable 1 changeable connected target each.

Wales levelled successful nan 54th infinitesimal aft different unforced Australian error. A mediocre backpass from Nevin fto successful Fishlock who group up Griffiths to loop a changeable complete Micah’s outstretched arm.

Australia rung nan changes conscionable aft nan hr arsenic Kerr, Raso, and Torpey were replaced by Amy Sayer, Holly McNamara, and Ellie Carpenter.

The Matildas almost retook nan lead soon afterwards erstwhile Kyra Cooney-Cross trim backmost for Foord, who recovered herself successful acres of abstraction adjacent nan punishment spot, only for her changeable to beryllium blocked.

Foord was not to beryllium denied successful nan 85th infinitesimal arsenic Cooney-Cross squared nan shot perfectly for Arsenal winger to slam it into nan tile of nan net.

The exhausted Fishlock departed nan section 5 minutes later to a opinionated ovation, embracing her teammates arsenic good arsenic her erstwhile coach Joe Montemurro connected nan sidelines.