Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson has publicly accepted her side failed to perform as they dropped points in a Women’s World Cup qualifying draw in Montenegro.
Wales looked set to collect three points following Hannah Cain’s first-half penalty, but were ultimately denied a crucial win on the night.
A late equaliser from Jasna Djokovic left Wales with a draw they can have few complaints about, given their overall showing in Podgorica.
Controversy surrounded a second-half effort from Elise Hughes, with Wales players convinced the ball had fully crossed the line before Montenegro defender Sladjana Bulatovic cleared it away.
Without goalline technology or VAR at Montenegro’s Gradski Stadion, the goal was not awarded, and Wales were unable to add to their lead before Djokovic struck late.
Wilkinson was direct in her assessment of her squad’s display, refusing to make excuses for what she witnessed on the pitch.
“That wasn’t good enough,” said the Wales head coach, pulling no punches in her post-match reaction.
“Sometimes we play in a way that suggests we think we are better than we are,” she continued, questioning the mentality her side brought to the fixture.
“Complacency is the easy answer, but there was a lack of intensity and it was not to our level. We didn’t earn it tonight. We were not on our game tonight.”
The result was a damaging one in the context of Group B1, as Wales had been presented with a real opportunity to take control of the qualification standings.
The Czech Republic, Wales’ chief rivals for top spot in the group, also stumbled on the same evening, held to a 1-1 home draw by Albania in a surprise result.
That slip from the Czechs meant the group remained wide open, but Wales were unable to capitalise by securing the win that would have put them in the driving seat.
Had Wilkinson’s side taken all three points, a draw in their final group game would have been enough to secure first place and a more favourable play-off draw later this year.
Instead, Wales must beat the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening at Cardiff City Stadium to finish above them, with nothing less than victory acceptable.
Wales drew with the Czechs in the opening game of the qualifying campaign, making Tuesday’s rematch a genuinely high-stakes occasion for both nations.
“We are exactly where we started,” Wilkinson acknowledged, aware the opportunity to ease the pressure before the final game had been squandered.
“We have to grab these opportunities. I’m sure the Czech Republic coach is as frustrated as I am,” she said, pointing to a tense finale to the group stage.
“I am confident it will be a close game on Tuesday. We have to show up,” the head coach added, calling on her players to respond with a sharper and more determined display.
On the goalline incident, Wilkinson admitted frustration but accepted that the absence of technology was simply part of the conditions Wales had to deal with on the night.
“I am frustrated there is no VAR, but this is the game — we can’t affect that,” she said. “I’ll fight for it behind the scenes, but on the night we needed to put the ball away.”
