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    Cymru vs. Montenegro | 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup – WEQ League Stage – Grp B1

    Live

        Live ReportMatch Summary

        2. Hannah Cain was very happy after the match, telling BBC Wales:

          “I was hoping for the hat-trick – but it just wasn’t meant to be. I just hit the post. I am absolutely buzzing. A really good performance. Hopefully we can take that into the next camp now.

          “I love getting balls in behind and it is made for me when we do that to be honest. I think you can tell from my reactions I’m dead chuffed.

          “We thank the fans for coming out, they were brilliant again.”

        3. Ceri Holland spoke to BBC Wales after the match:

          “Yeah really positive result, we knew they’d probably sit in a little bit and we’d have the ball. 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.”

        4. MATCH SUMMARY

          Cymru produced a dominant display in Llanelli as they secured all three points in their World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.

          Rhian Wilkinson made four changes to the team that played Czechia in Cymru’s opening qualifier, with a clear aim of using pace against their opponents.

          Carrie Jones, Mared Griffiths and Mia Ross all got the nod to start with Safia Middleton-Patel chosen to play in goal. With Angharad James named amongst the substitutes, Ceri Holland took over captain duties.

          Montenegro couldn’t handle Cymru’s pace as they constantly battled through balls for Hannah Cain and Mared Griffiths to run on to.

          Cymru took the lead after just seven minutes when Holland released Cain to run clear on goal, where she very calmly slotted the ball past Ajša Kalač in the Montenegro goal.

          The Red Wall didn’t have to wait long for the second goal as Rachel Rowe finished a lovely attacking move when Cain was released down the right to square the pass for a simple finish.

          Two minutes later Cymru were three goals to the good when a goalkeeping blunder saw Kalač spill the ball for Griffiths to score. Ingle had played a cross field pass into the path of Griffiths, whose initial header looked like it was to be safely claimed by Kalač but the Cymru attacker was gifted a goal.

          Ingle headed in Cymru’s fourth after the home team failed to give up on applying pressure to the Montenegro defence, despite them initially clearing a corner. As Ross looped the clearance back into the six-yard box, Ingle nodded it past Kalač.

          There was a fifth goal before the half-time whistle was blown as Lily Woodham provided Cain with a pass for her to bag her brace.

          The second half was never likely to see many more goals added with the stop start nature of multiple substitutions being made. Montenegro attempting to make themselves more sturdy in defence and Cymru wanting to get fresh legs on the pitch with them being in such a dominant position.

          However, against the run of play, Armisa Kuč lobbed Middleton-patel after she got on the end of a ball over the top of the defence from Jasna Djoković.

          Montenegro celebrations were short lived however, as Cymru soon regained control of the fixture.

          They had multiple chances to score a sixth and out began to feel that it wouldn’t come. That was until the 78th minute.

          In a move that saw the ball moved from defence, through midfield and into attack, Griffiths scored her second of the game as her pace took her beyond her marker in the Montenegro defence. She scored her second with confidence to make it 6-1.

          Four points from the first two matches of qualifying is a decent return. The 1-1 draw in Czechia and this dominant win against Montenegro will see Cymru top of the group on 4 points.

          Cymru return to qualifying action in April with home and away matches against Albania.

        5. FULL-TIME VERDICT

          Cymru were always in complete control of this match despite a blip early in the second half when Montenegro were allowed to score a consolation goal through Kuč. The second half was never likely to see many more goals added with the stop start nature of multiple substitutions being made. Montenegro attempting to make themselves more sturdy in defence and Cymru wanting to get fresh legs on the pitch with them being in such a dominant position. However, they did score again through Griffiths who finished a move that started in the Cymru defence. Rhian Wilkinson will be incredibly pleased with this performance. The home crowd certainly were as they showed their admiration upon the full time whistle.

        7. Griffiths has certainly enjoyed this match in Llanelli 🤩

        8. 86'

          Yellow card

          ROBERTS Rhiannon

        9. 84'

          Substitution

          EVANS Gemma Jayne replaces HOLLAND Ceri

        10. 83'

          Substitution

          Aleksandra Popović replaces Jasna Djoković

        11. 83'

          Substitution

          Katarina Čađenović replaces Andrea Janjušević

        13. 79'

          Goal

          GRIFFITHS Mared Alaw

        14. 78'

          There’s goal number 6. Griffiths scores her second of the goal after she outpaces her marker to squeeze it home. Wonderful.

        15. 76'

          Cymru have multiple chances to add a sixth goal but somehow the ball doesn’t hit the back of the net. Desperate defending and McAteer somehow sends her shot wide of a gaping goal. So close for Cymru.

        16. The ever dependable Holland has put in a fine shift.

        17. 67'

          Substitution

          JAMES Angharad replaces INGLE Sophie

        18. 67'

          Substitution

          MCATEER Mary replaces CAIN Hannah

        19. 66'

          Griffiths is hunting for her second of the match and she looked odds on to get it but the ball took a fortunate bounce for the Montenegro defender to clear it to safety.

        20. 64'

          Substitution

          Nađa Stanović replaces Sladjana Bulatović

        21. 60'

          The second half doesn’t have the same tempo as the first, but after Montenegro found their way to the back of the net, Cymru have continued to be in complete control of the fixture.

        23. 51'

          Goal

          Armisa Kuč

        24. 51'

          Against the run of play, Kuč lobbed Middleton-patel after she got on the end of a ball over the top of the defence from Djoković.

        25. 📸 Wilkinson will be pleased with what she’s seen so far.

        26. 47'

          Griffiths is at the Montenegro defence again and plays a pass from a tight angle to Joel in the 18 yard box. She dinks it towards goal but the ball goes into the side netting.

        27. 46'

          Substitution

          JOEL Lois replaces ROWE Rachel

        28. 46'

          Substitution

          MORGAN Ffion Alys replaces WOODHAM Lily

        29. KICK OFF: SECOND HALF

          Montenegro have got the second half underway. They’ll be hoping to stop Cymru from breaching their defence, meanwhile, Rhian Wilkinson has made two changes with Lois Joel and Ffion Morgan coming off the bench to replace Rachel Rowe and Lily Woodham.

        30. HALF-TIME VERDICT

          A stunning first half from Cymru as they completely dominated this World Cup qualifier in Llanelli. They nearly got off to a disastrous start when Safia Middleton-Patel attempted to play a pass that was closed down by a Montenegro attacker but it rebounded out for a goal kick. From here Cymru never looked back as they used the pace of Ceri Holland, Hannah Cain and Mared Griffiths against a slow and clunky Montenegro defence. The first goal soon came as Cain scored before a second was added by Rachel Rowe. Griffiths netted the third when she capitalised on a goalkeeping error. Ingle scored the fourth with a header and Cain bagged her brace shortly afterwards. As the half-time whistle was blown, the two benches were a complete contrast. Mirko Marić looked completely frustrated whilst Rhian Wilkinson looked proud of her team’s efforts.

        32. 39'

          Substitution

          Maja Šaranović replaces Helena Božić

        33. 📸 Super Sophie Ingle!

        34. 36'

          That’s a fifth goal. Rowe supplies the pass for Cain to score her second.

        35. 36'

          Goal

          CAIN Hannah

        37. 32'

          Goal

          INGLE Sophie

        38. 31'

          GÔL!!!

          Montenegro thought they’d cleared the ball from the corner but Cymru were determined to get the ball back and so they did. As the ball was returned to the box by Ross, Ingle headed in Cymru’s fourth.

        39. 30'

          Griffiths and Rowe play a one-two and a desperate block by a defender puts the ball behind for a corner.

        40. Griffiths does a little dance in celebration of her goal 💃

        41. 📸 Rowe in the motion of scoring Cymru’s second goal.

        42. 22'

          Cain is through again and she looks certain to score…. but her shot hits the post! It nearly got even worse for Montenegro.

        45. 17'

          GÔL!

          Cymru have scored another! The Montenegro goalkeeper fails to hold onto the ball and it allows Griffiths to pass into an empty net. It’s 3-0.

        46. 17'

          Goal

          GRIFFITHS Mared Alaw

        47. 15'

          GÔL!!!

          Cymru have doubled their lead after Row finishes off a fine attacking move to make 2-0.

        48. 15'

          Goal

          ROWE Rachel

        49. 📸 The Cymru XI

        50. 12'

          Middleton-Patel is called into action from a Montenegro corner. Cymru initially struggle to clear but the Cymru goalkeeper eventually collects the ball safely into her arms.

        51. 📸 Cain celebrates after giving Cymru the lead.

        53. 9'

          Cain and Griffiths link in another Cymru attack. Montenegro are under a lot of pressure but somehow have thwarted the Cymru attack.

        54. 7'

          Goal

          CAIN Hannah

        55. 6'

          GÔL!!!

          Hollands releases Cain who uses her pace to leave the Montenegro defence behind. She applies a cool finish to give Cymru an early lead.

        56. 4'

          Griffiths nearly breaks through for Cymru but the Montenegro defence holds strong. Cymru are certainly looking to attack through pace.

        57. 2'

          Nervy start by Cymru as Montenegro get an early chance when Middleton-Patel is closed down when attempting to kick the ball up field.

        58. KICK OFF!

          Cymru get the game underway here in Llanelli, where they’re looking to add to the point they secured in Czechia.

        60. The warm-ups are completed. This game will be getting underway soon.

        61. Here come The Red Wall 👋

        63. Ceri Holland wears the armband for this match against Montenegro.

        65. The Cymru squad have arrived at Parc y Scarlets.

        66. Here’s how Montenegro line-up for the match.

        67. STARTING XI

          Rhian Wilkinson has named four changes to the team that drew in Czechia. Mia Ross makes her first competitive start and with Angharad James on the bench, Ceri Holland is named captain. Meanwhile, Safia Middleton-Patel will play in goal.

        68. Team news coming soon.

        71. WILKINSON AND JAMES ON CYMRU AMBITION

          Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson and captain Angharad James spoke to the media on Friday ahead of taking on Montenegro in the second match of World Cup qualifying.

          “We had a tough year last year with the teams that we played against, but we’ve come out stronger,” said James. “I think within this group, I have every confidence that we can go out and perform and win every game.”

          Cymru started the campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Czechia on Tuesday as Elise Hughes came off the bench to score the equaliser deep into added time.

          “I’d like to publicly just highlight the finishers, the players who don’t start,” said Wilkinson. “I think everyone puts a lot of attention on who starts. That’s historical.

          “The players that came on finished the game, they did exactly what I’d asked of them – to show up and deliver and to change the game for us.”

          “We are a squad now, it’s not just an XI,” added James. “Elise and other players came into the last game and changed the game for us.

          “I’m so happy personally for Elise. She works really hard every day on the training field and to get that moment gives her all the confidence hopefully that she needs.”

        74. LAST TIME AT LLANELLI

          Cymru were last in action at Parc-y-Scarlets, Llanelli in July 2024 as goals from Jess Fishlock and Mary McAteer (below) sealed a 2-0 win over Kosovo as part of the successful EURO 2025 qualifying campaign.

          Over 4,000 fans were in attendance and tickets for Saturday’s match are still available to purchase here. Kick off is at 4.30pm.

        75. SPOTLIGHT ON MONTENEGRO

          Montenegro enter this qualifying campaign at a transformative period for women’s football in the country. Promoted to League B after an unbeaten campaign, the team’s first official match took place as recently as March 2012.

          Armisa Kuč, the all-time record appearance holder and goalscorer, has been part of the squad since the very beginning, and believes their progress is the payoff for years of persistence in a nation where women’s football long lacked visibility.

          Montenegro now has 540 registered female players, including 383 under 18, reflecting a cultural shift and growing grassroots interest. Structured pathways are central to this progress, and this new environment contrasts sharply with the experiences of pioneers like former captain Marija Vukčević.

          The striker played for Montenegro between 2012 and 2020, and has stated how the real victory for the nation is cultural, seeing young girls play freely, confirming that women’s football has finally become a normal part of society in the country.

          Now female players have the opportunity to develop in Montenegro before moving abroad, with 18‑year‑old Maša Tomašević, now at Inter Milan and named one of UEFA’s rising stars for 2024, a perfect example.

        77. PREVIOUS MEETINGS

          There have been two previous meetings between Cymru and Montenegro as the two nations were previously drawn together in qualifying for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

          The first match took place in Nikšić in November 2013 as Cymru claimed a 3-0 victory through goals from Hannah Keryakoplis and two goals from Helen Ward, the first from the penalty spot.

          The return match took place in Nantporth, Bangor the following May (below) as Cymru again claimed maximum points with a 4-0 win. Sarah Wiltshire opened the scoring for Jarmo Matikainen’s side before Jess Fishlock added a hat-trick.

          Cymru missed out on a play-off place by three points in that qualifying campaign while Montenegro finished bottom of the group.

        78. MEET THE REF

          Caroline Lanssens of Belgium will take charge of the 2027 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Cymru and Montenegro on Saturday.

          The 35-year-old has been a FIFA Referee since 2022 and regularly officiates in the Belgian Women’s Super League.

          Margot Jacobs, also of Belgium, and Amina Gutschi of Austria are the Assistant Referees while Fabienne Hofer of Austria is the Fourth Official. There is no VAR.

        80. AS IT STANDS

          Albania are the early leaders in Group B1 following their 2-1 win over Montenegro on Tuesday while Cymru and Czechia played out a 2-2 draw.

          Megi Doci scored twice for Albania as they came from behind to claim the victory in Nikšić and they return to action on Saturday when they host Czechia in Shkoder.

          Elise Hughes was the hero for Cymru on Tuesday as her header in added time salvaged a point in the 2-2 draw with Czechia. The home side were ahead twice with Hannah Cain levelling for Rhian Wilkinson’s side in the opening half.

          Cymru now take on Montenegro at Parc-y-Scarlets, Llanelli on Saturday, 7 March (KO 4:30pm). Tickets are available here.

        83. SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT

          Cymru head coach Rhian Wilkinson has named her 26-player squad to take on Czechia and Montenegro in the opening two games of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

          Three uncapped players feature in the squad, including Plymouth Argyle duo Olivia Francis and Phoebie Poole, while Lois Joel and Poppy Soper return to the squad after injury.

          Laura Hughes made her Cymru debut as the side defeated Switzerland back in December but injury has ruled the midfielder out of this international window.

        84. There is no live report available for this match

        Lineups

        Starting

          Substitutes

            Starting

              Substitutes

                Table

                P
                Gd
                Pts

                Match Info

                Stadium

                Date & Time

                Referee

                Fourth Official

                Assistant Referees

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