Ward’s Words

Helen Ward sums up her last couple of months as having been through all four seasons and every weather type while chasing a ball or a stopwatch. She reports on Wales at the Cyprus Cup, a 1-0 win over Finland, a 3-0 defeat by Italy, a goalless draw with Switzerland and a 1-1 draw with Austria lost on penalties, valuing the chance to test their game plans against higher-ranked nations before World Cup qualifiers against their next-door neighbours. Personally the trip was frustrating: she arrived short of training after an ankle injury in January, then injured the other ankle after the Finland game before physio Hilary got her back for the final two matches. Six months after her son Charlie’s birth she is still chasing fitness, running at the track in freezing temperatures, and finds WSL 2 in limbo amid licence applications.