Wales
left it late to beat lowly Moldova as goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and
Aaron Ramsey gave them a second win in four days to keep alive their
hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Despite a gulf of 141
places between the two in the Fifa world rankings, the game was goalless
at half-time thanks to a combination of stubborn Moldovan defending and
a dearth of quality in the Welsh attack.Just as their desperate search for a winning goal seemed destined for crushing disappointment, the visitors were again left to cherish the impact of Ben Woodburn - their match-winner against Austria on Saturday - as the 17-year-old's superb run and cross set up Robson-Kanu's diving header.
Ramsey's deflected strike in injury time sealed victory for Wales, who are now up to second place in Group D but remain four points behind leaders Serbia, who beat the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
With only two matches left, that means the play-offs look like Wales' likeliest route to next year's tournament in Russia.
The play-off places will be filled by the eight best runners-up in the nine qualifying groups, excluding their results against the bottom side.
As things stand, although Wales' chances of qualifying automatically as group winners are all but over, their victory against Moldova at least means they have stolen a march on the Republic of Ireland in the race for second spot.
- Wales playing for play-offs - Coleman
- Relive Wales' victory over Moldova
- Republic of Ireland 0-1 Serbia
Woodburn makes decisive impact
Wales had revived their prospects of qualifying with a dramatic win over Austria in Cardiff three days earlier, as Woodburn came on to score a fabulous long-range goal just four minutes into his international debut.
The Liverpool forward remained on the bench in Chisinau, although manager Chris Coleman signalled his attacking intent by switching from his favoured 5-4-1 formation to a 4-2-3-1 system as he had done at half-time against Austria.
It did not have the desired effect in the first half, as Wales struggled to find a way past their opponents' deep-lying and tenacious defence.
Gareth Bale had a low shot fumbled by goalkeeper Ilie Cebanu - who redeemed himself by smothering Ramsey's rebound - but despite enjoying as much as 72% possession, Wales lacked guile and cutting edge at crucial moments.
That was until Woodburn came on after an hour and immediately injected the pace and invention his team-mates had struggled to produce in attack.
With 10 minutes left, the teenager burst into the Moldovan penalty area and clipped a perfect cross for Robson-Kanu, whose plunging header brought precious relief to the Welsh fans behind the goal.
Ramsey's goal gave the scoreline a healthier look but, with Serbia marching towards automatic qualification, it will realistically be the play-offs in Wales' sights as they go into their October double-header away against Georgia and - potentially pivotally - at home to the Republic of Ireland.
Exorcising ghosts of Moldova past
The scene at Moldova's clean and compact new ground, Stadionul Zimbru, was in stark contrast to Wales' previous visit to the country.
In 1994, they were greeted with a cockroach infestation and a shortage of hot water at their hotel, before suffering a humiliating 3-2 defeat against a Moldovan side playing only their fifth game since gaining independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Coleman was in the Welsh team that day but, having led his side to a 4-0 drubbing of Moldova at the start of this campaign, he was hopeful of avoiding another ignominious episode against a nation without a competitive victory since 2013.
The boisterous crowd inside the 10,000-capacity stadium were encouraged by their side's defensive application, and they sensed an upset might be on the cards with chances for the likes of Cagliari's Artur Ionita.
There was even a chance of a draw after Robson-Kanu gave Wales the lead, as substitute Andrei Cojocari's low drive forced Wayne Hennessey into a fine fingertip save in added time.
However, Ramsey's late goal settled any residual Welsh nerves and gave Coleman's side their first away win since 2015.
Man of the match - Ben Woodburn
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