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Women's October 2024 International round-up

2024-25/Women's Team/International/2024-10-29_Cymru_v_Slovakia_ac_115_t5otiv

Southampton FC Women's Rachel Rowe and Alice Griffiths are one step closer to qualifying for the 2025 Women's European Championships with Wales, whilst five Saints featured for England's Under-23s over the October international break.

Rowe and Griffiths both started crucial qualifying play-off games for Wales, whilst England starts came for Fran Stenson, Kayla Rendell, Tara Bourne and Freya Gregory, with Lucia Kendall impacting play off the bench.

Wales faced a two-legged test against Slovakia to reach the qualifying play-off final, starting in Poprad; despite dominating the match stats, Wales lost 2-1 to the hosts but Ffion Morgan’s late finish gave them hope.

Rowe started and played 81 minutes, with Griffiths coming on at half time for the remainder of the game.

Rachel Rowe in action (Photos: Ashley Crowden/FAW)

Saints' duo's progress to the qualification play-off final was confirmed under the lights in a 2-0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Rowe saw plenty of action in the front three, and produced the first chance of the game for Wales with an in-air shot.

Griffiths slotted effortlessly into the holding midfield role, and played a part in the opening goal with a neat sideways pass to Angharad James who found Jess Fishlock for a fantastically worked finish from the Seattle Reign pair.

In extra-time, after a long VAR check, Liverpool midfielder Ceri Holland’s goal was given to send Wales through to the final round of qualifications.

The first leg of the qualification final will take place at the end of November, with Wales hosting the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff.

Alice Griffiths stepped up in midfield (Photos: Ashley Crowden/FAW)

Meanwhile, the Young Lionesses were in action in the European WU23 competition, first with an away match against Netherlands in Escharen.

They were denied the win after a stoppage-time free-kick from Fenna Kalma meant the game finished 1-1, in a game that Stenson, Bourne and Gregory started with Kendall introduced off the bench.

The following Tuesday night, they were on home soil as they hosted Portugal in Shrewsbury with Rendell brought in to start and keep a clean sheet.

Brighton forward Michelle Agyemang scored an 86th-minute free-kick to earn them three points in a 1-0.

Saints' shot-stopper had a fairly quiet game as England struggled to break the deadlock against Portugal’s resilient defence with her club teammates watching on from the bench.

Despite a strong display throughout the match, Portugal keeper Adriana Rocha made a misjudged error and handled the ball just outside the box, leading to Agyemang firing the ball into the bottom corner.