Wales Women thrashed Greece 5-0 in a 2023 World Cup qualifying clash in Llanelli on Friday night.
Gemma Grainger’s side asserted their dominance early and took the lead shortly after kick-off. Natasha Harding’s cross from the right was retrieved by Jess Fishlock, who laid it off for captain Sophie Ingle to strike it first time beyond Anthi Papakonstantinou in the Greek goal.
Kayleigh Green, returning from suspension, doubled Wales’ lead before the midway point of the first half was reached. The horrid conditions at Parc y Scarlets had a hand in this one as a backpass was held up on the wet pitch, allowing Green to pounce and evade the onrushing Papakonstantinou before tapping into the net.
It looked like Harding was going to add a third in the 25th minute when she rounded Greece’s goalkeeper but, with the angle tightening, the visitors’ defenders got back to clear their lines.
Just one minute had elapsed before Ceri Holland bagged that third, though. She let fly from the edge of the box and the save should have been a straightforward one, but Papakonstantinou could only swat the shot into her own net.
It capped an utterly dominant first half hour, though things quietened down before the break.
Wales came out energised in the second half and Holland grabbed her second goal 10 minutes in. She received the ball on the left hand side of the 18-yard box and cut inside before curling one into the top right-hand corner and there was nothing Greece’s goalkeeper could do about it.
At this point, it was no longer a case of if Wales would win, they simply had to determine the margin.
Harding got the fifth after Rhiannon Roberts went on a marauding run down the right before picking out her team-mate at the back post.
Wales, who had 20 shots on goal to Greece’s one, pushed hard throughout the second half to increase their advantage, with the possibility that goal difference will have a say in their group.
Roberts went close in injury time but they would have to be content with the five-goal deficit.
