Aaron Ramsey’s deflected shot helped Wales overcome a stubborn Moldova to keep their World Cup qualification dream alive.
Caerphilly-born Ramsey scored his 13th international goal as the Dragons left it late to win their World Cup qualifying match in Chisinau on Tuesday, September 5.
Wales enjoyed 72% possession but struggled to break down a Moldova side rooted firmly to the bottom of Group D until Hal Robson-Kanu’s 80th minute header broke the deadlock.
Ramsey’s deflected strike in injury-time made the result safe, but in truth it was a tougher night for Chris Coleman’s side than they would have liked.
Fresh off the back of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Austria, and knowing that another victory would significantly boost their hopes of reaching the play-offs for the World Cup in Russia next year, Wales attacked from the off, putting their opponents under significant pressure.
Moldovan goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu was forced into a fine double-save as he denied first Gareth Bale and then Ramsey, and the home defence’s stout resistance encouraged their 10,000 fans inside the Stadionul Zimbru.
One step closer #togetherstronger pic.twitter.com/p4UtNQYoja
— Aaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) September 5, 2017
However, it seemed inevitable that Wales would beat their profligacy, and for a second game in a row teenage attacker Ben Woodburn made the difference.
The 17-year-old Liverpool forward could have been awarded a penalty shortly after his introduction on the hour mark, and showed that all the hype around his goal-scoring debut in the previous round had not gone to his head as his jinxing run and floated cross allowed Robson-Kanu to open the scoring.
Cebanu could do nothing about Ramsey’s deflected shot in the 93rd minute for a 2-0 win which sees Wales move up to second place in Group D and register a first away win since 2015.
The Dragons remain four points behind leaders Serbia, who beat the Republic of Ireland with ten men in Dublin, and are more than likely vying for a place in the qualification play-offs.
Wales next face Georgia before a mouth-watering crunch tie with Ireland in Cardiff on Monday, October 9.
Six points from those two games will give Wales the best opportunity to qualify for the World Cup play-off stage, although even then it will not be guaranteed.
While top spot and automatic qualification is not impossible, it would require leaders Serbia to drop points to both Austria and Georgia.
Only eight of the nine second-placed sides will reach the play-offs, with those places determined by the best points tallies after results against the bottom side in each group are dismissed – in Wales and Group D’s case, Moldova.
Currently, Wales occupy the ninth spot, but victories over Georgia and Ireland, coupled with other results going their way, would see them rise in the table to join the likes of Iceland, Northern Ireland, Italy, and European Champions Portugal – who ended Wales’ memorable Euro 2016 campaign in the semi-finals.