Lessons to be learned as Wales chase top spot

Lessons to be learned as Wales chase top spot Image source, FAWImage caption, Sophie Ingle is the second Wales player to reach 150 caps after Jess Fishlock ByGareth VincentBBC Sport WalesPublished5 minutes agoThere were balloons in the Wales dressing room to mark Sophie Ingle's 150th international appearance.It must have been a relief, therefore, that Wales did just enough on the pitch at Albania's Elbasan Arena to ensure the party was not ruined.Ingle danced with her team-mates after Rhiannon Roberts' goal secured a victory which keeps their bid to reach a first Women's World Cup on track.But this was a celebration of Ingle's sparkling Wales career rather than a Wales performance which was very much short on sparkle.Rhian Wilkinson acknowledged that it was a "hard day", breathing a sigh of relief having seen her team "figure out a way to get three points".That is the bottom line for Wales, who will not be worrying about a scruffy display in Albania should they be boarding a plane to Brazil come June 2027.But Wilkinson's players will also be aware that better performances than this will be required if they are to end the nation's wait for a first appearance at a Women's World Cup.Image source, FAW"It was about the three points but lessons need to be learned," former Wales striker Gwennan Harries told Match of the Day Wales.Wilkinson's side had overwhelmed Albania in a 4-0 win in Wrexham four days earlier, when the hosts' only frustration was that they did not score more goals.But the return fixture had a very different look, with Wales struggling for fluency in possession as Albania sat deep but carried a threat on the counter-attack."At the minute, we're probably not seeing Wales at their best and we've struggled at times to break down teams who sit back," said another ex-Wales forward Helen Ward on BBC Radio Wales."That's where a Jess Fishlock can do somet...