Wales Aim to Right Their Wrongs Against the Czechs
Carrie Jones captained Wales for the first time against Montenegro.
Wales' trip to Montenegro did not unfold as planned, leaving their path to the Women's World Cup unchanged.
The frustration for Rhian Wilkinson's squad stems from missing a prime opportunity to advance closer to qualification for Brazil next summer.
Few expected the Czech Republic, who had defeated Albania 5-1 in March, to drop points against the same team in their return fixture on Friday.
When news arrived of the Czechs' 1-1 draw with Albania, Wales—who kicked off half an hour later against Montenegro—were 1-0 up and poised to claim top spot in Group B1.
However, a combination of missed chances, defensive lapses, and possibly the absence of goal-line technology in Podgorica resulted in Wales also dropping points.
Wales Not Good Enough in Montenegro - Wilkinson
Sloppy Wales held by Montenegro in World Cup qualifier.
As with the Czechs' draw against Albania, it was unexpected that Wales would fail to defeat Montenegro, a team they had previously beaten 6-1 earlier in the campaign.
Settling for a 1-1 draw, Wales remain second in their qualifying group ahead of Tuesday's crucial fixture against the Czech Republic in Cardiff.
A victory in Montenegro would have meant Wales needed only a point against the Czechs to finish first, securing a more favorable play-off path later this year.
Failing to maintain the lead provided by Hannah Cain's first-half penalty means Wales must win the upcoming match to top the group.
Missed Opportunities
Montenegro is ranked 87th globally, 56 places below Wales.
They were outclassed in Llanelli in March, defending high and conceding heavily to Wales.
However, the return fixture told a different story as Montenegro adopted a deep defensive block, frustrating Wilkinson's team.
Despite Wales dominating possession, Montenegro remained competitive and earned their first point in this qualifying campaign through Jasna Djokovic's 79th-minute equalizer.
Wales might have secured victory earlier but failed to capitalize on their control in the first half before Cain's penalty.
The penalty award appeared soft, but Wales felt aggrieved by a refereeing decision in the second half when Elise Hughes' acrobatic effort was cleared from under the crossbar.
Replays suggested the ball may have crossed the line, but without goal-line technology, officials allowed play to continue.
Wales had a chance to score from the rebound, but Cain, the team's primary goal threat during the campaign, wasted the opportunity by shooting over the bar.
For a time, these missed chances seemed inconsequential, but Wales paid the price when Lily Woodham was dispossessed deep in her own half, allowing Djokovic—who had outpaced Esther Morgan—to score at the far post.
"It's really frustrating," Cain said.
"Coming away is always difficult, especially against teams who are going to be in a low block, but we had our chances to put it to bed.
"Leading 1-0 for so long and then to lose the lead like that is really disappointing."
No Excuses
Wilkinson made five changes to the starting lineup in Montenegro compared to the team that began April's win in Albania.
Before the game, it was believed Wilkinson rested players such as Rhiannon Roberts, Angharad James, Mared Griffiths, and Ceri Holland to keep them fresh for the Czech Republic match.
After the match, some felt Wales might have benefited from fielding their strongest lineup, given that a win would have given them the group advantage.
Nevertheless, Wilkinson could argue that the selected team should have been capable of comfortably overcoming Montenegro.
Wales often lacked the intensity and tempo to challenge a lower-ranked opponent, possibly due to the heat at Gradski Stadion.
Another factor was Wales' less-than-ideal preparation, arriving in Podgorica only 23 hours before kickoff after Wednesday evening's electrical storms disrupted travel.
The team’s flight was diverted to Italy, and the Football Association of Wales secured accommodation for the players in the early hours of Thursday morning.
They finally reached Montenegro that evening, enduring a difficult night and missing a proper training session before the game.
Wilkinson emphasized that there could be no excuses and did not attribute the disappointing performance to the disrupted preparation.
However, Wales will hope for a smoother build-up ahead of the decisive group match against the Czech Republic.
"You look at the game and it's definitely not to our standard, but now we have got to look towards Tuesday," said Carrie Jones, Wales' captain for the first time in Montenegro.
"We know we are a good team based on our history. On Tuesday we have got to turn up."
