View From The Field: Ward’s Words (Helen Ward column)

Wales’ record goalscorer writes at the start of a Euro 2021 campaign carrying real expectation for the first time, twelve months after England ended their World Cup hopes in Newport. The Faroe Islands trip went as well as could be hoped, mosquito-infested Copenhagen stopover included, with Tash Harding scoring a hat-trick. Northern Ireland was harder, and Ward is honest that the level of performance was not what Wales demand of themselves and that the Green and White Army fully deserved their last-second equaliser. She refuses to treat two dropped points as a campaign lost. At Watford the season has been equally mixed, but she rates the new signings as real strength in depth and expects a Championship promotion race with no runaway team.