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By Aimee Palmer
Cymru’s campaign to get to UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 has taken positive strides as they beat Slovakia 3-2 on aggregate to progress to the final play-off round.
Despite a 2-1 loss against Slovakia in the first leg, a 2-0 second-leg victory was enough to set Cymru up with a mouthwatering tie against the Republic of Ireland - the winners of which will travel to Switzerland for next summer’s EURO.
In front of a crowd of more than 10,000 at Cardiff City Stadium last week, Jess Fishlock was put into the starting line-up along with three other changes made by Rhian Wilkinson following the first-leg defeat.
The opening minutes of the game saw the Welsh side exert their dominance straight from the starting whistle, enjoying plenty of early possession and numerous forays forward.
Roars erupted from the crowd for Ceri Holland, who was unstoppable on the right side of the pitch. The 26-year-old sent powerful passes through to the likes of Fishlock and Ffion Morgan, who were eager to get shots in.
Mexican waves and the sounds of horns filled Cardiff City Stadium and it wasn’t long before Rachel Rowe sought an opportunity 25 minutes in, having found space, but a little too much power behind the ball sent it wide past the post.
Despite not getting the early goal they wanted, Cymru remained the dominant side. Rowe, Fishlock and Morgan had chances from inside the box but Slovakia defended tightly.
The night got cold quickly with Welsh bobble hats popping up left, right and centre.
Slovakia were determined to maintain their lead, defending every ball passed into the box, making it difficult for the home team to break through. Cymru legend Fishlock was first to put the ball over the goal line with a powerful middle-of-the-box strike in the 38th minute.
The Red Wall celebrated, with people of all ages making up the home crowd - this goal meant something special to Fishlock and the Cymru supporters. Slovakia responded with a few attacks before half-time, but they were faced with an even stronger Red Wall.
Fishlock wanted to add to her tally before the interval and had a one-on-two chance in the box, but a desperate - and successful - tackle instead saw a change in possession.
When half-time arrived, fans rushed to get refreshments with most Cymru fans grinning from ear to ear.
Their smiles summed up what that opening goal meant - with the scores level on aggregate and Cymru on top, a big second half lay ahead.
Even before the referee’s whistle signalled the restart, the already-cheering Welsh fans were excitedly waiting on the edge of their seats for another goal. Underneath the floodlights in the bitter cold of mid-autumn, Cymru continued to dominate the game.
An early second-half chance from Morgan lit up the faces of young girls in the crowd, but a heavy foot from the 24-year old sent the ball into the Canton Stand instead of between the posts.
The home crowd never stopped their famous “WAAAALES” chant, which echoed throughout the stadium.
This pushed their team to continue creating opportunities in the opening stages of the second half - making it clear they were set to continue their dominance from the first half.
The only thing they needed was another goal to put them ahead on aggregate and send them through to the play-off finals.
A scream of hope and triumph bellowed through the stadium as Morgan struck an almost perfect ball into the back of the net, but the fans’ early celebrations were interrupted with an offside call.
Looking more determined than ever, Cymru didn’t let this faze them and continued to dominate.
A roar of boos sounded as another opportunity for Fishlock opened and the ball hit the back of the net again - only for this also to be ruled out for offside. The boos swiftly turned to cheers as the Red Wall knew they had to cheer their team on to get that much-needed second goal.
Slovakia, arguably the underdogs with a world ranking 22 places below Cymru’s, were holding their own.
They defended like their life depended on it, sharing passionate shouts across the pitch from player to player to try to break down the Red Wall.
Angharad James played a vital role in midfield, constantly propelling the ball forward and feeding important passes into the box. As captain of the team, she demonstrated why she is such a role model and her performance stood out as she shone on a crucial night for her country.
Intensity rose as time ticked on and nervous faces were appearing everywhere. A lapse in concentration saw the away side have an attempt at goal, but the ball went wide and Cymru went straight back to their dominating attacking play.
Shivers went down the spines of fans as Yma o Hyd played in the background, and the clock ticked closer to the 90-minute mark.
Despite an array of opportunities and what almost seemed like a whole new team compared with the first-leg performance four days previously, a second goal couldn’t be found within 90 minutes and extra time began.
Both sides went in search of a goal in the first few minutes of extra time, with Slovakia’s defence seemingly going from strength to strength.
Music and shouts of encouragement still bellowed out and the Red Wall remained strong both on and off the pitch. The home side created a sea of opportunities in the first 15 minutes and Cymru’s defence also raised its game.
Gemma Evans played a key part in stopping the ferocious attacking play from Slovakia’s forwards, her communication and quick passes out to Rhiannon Roberts on the backline were crucial to Cymru’s continued attacks.
With the prospect of a penalty shootout looming, celebrations and sighs of relief were then heard when Ceri Holland struck home and celebrated right by the Ninian Stand with eight minutes of extra time remaining - initial doubts the goal would stand due to an offside call were quickly put to rest as VAR confirmed it had been allowed.
The Cymru players celebrated by jumping into each other's arms - one step closer to reaching their first EURO tournament, blood, sweat and tears.
Cymru will be in the play-off finals.
Waves of supporters came flooding down the stands to get as close to the pitch as possible because, once that final whistle blew, they knew they’d done it. It had been a game of passion, determination and near misses - but chances taken when they really mattered.
Cymru have done it - we really are Together Stronger.
Tickets are now on sale for this UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Play-Off match here.
Early bird prices are available until midday on Wednesday 6th November and are priced as follows:
Early Bird Ticket Prices (booking fees apply):
Adult - £8.00
Junior (16 & Under) - £3.00
Premium Seat - £10.00
Early Bird Red Wall Ticket Prices (booking fees apply):
Adult - £6.00
Junior (16 & Under) - £2.00
Premium Seat - £8.00