International friendly: New Zealand 0-0 Wales

Wales had beaten New Zealand 1-0 the last time the sides had met in 2019.

Wales warmed up for the climax of their World Cup qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against New Zealand.

Natasha Harding went close for Wales before New Zealand's Jacqui Hand hit the bar.

The friendly came at the end of a Spanish training camp boss Gemma Grainger hopes will prove ideal preparation for September qualifiers against Greece and Slovenia.

Wales need four points from those two games to secure a World Cup play-off.

Grainger's side have now won only once in five matches but, while a victory over New Zealand would have been welcome, it is the fixtures which lie ahead that really matter.

Grainger can take satisfaction from a solid workout - and a clean sheet - to round off her squad's week-long stay in south east Spain.

New Zealand are already assured of a place at the 2023 World Cup as they are co-hosting the tournament with Australia.

The Football Ferns are ranked 22nd in the world by Fifa - nine places above Wales - yet their form has been poor since these two nations last met, in a Cardiff friendly in 2019.

Kayleigh Green scored a late winner that day, and the Brighton striker led the Welsh line once more as Grainger picked her strongest available team.

Only Jess Fishlock, who did not travel to Spain because of her hectic club schedule, was missing from the side which started Wales' last game, the 3-0 qualifying win in Kazakhstan in April.

Yet Grainger's players have had little football of late, so perhaps it was not a surprise that they lacked fluency in a game which was scrappy at times.

Wales' best opportunities came in the first half, when they threatened for a while to seize control of the contest as Angharad James - winning her 98th cap - and Sophie Ingle took charge in midfield.

Their first threat came when Rachel Rowe burst into space down the New Zealand right, but her low cross was just too strong for Ceri Holland to tap home.

Ingle's threaded pass then sent Harding in behind the Kiwi defence, but the former Reading forward's shot deflected narrowly wide of the far post.

James and Green both lifted efforts over the bar before New Zealand's Elizabeth Anton took aim from distance and Wales keeper Laura O'Sullivan pushed the ball over the bar.

Wales were opened up from the short corner which followed, and were relieved to see the unmarked Meikayla Moore head wide from Katie Bowen's cross.

It was New Zealand who had the first chance of the second half, when another corner ended with captain Katherine Stott driving a shot over the bar.

Grainger turned to her substitutes - as planned - and Ffion Morgan's first contribution was a sharp break and cross which the stretching Green volleyed over the top.

New Zealand improved as Wales faded in the heat, and there was a scare when O'Sullivan could only punch a cross as far as Olivia Chance, but her goalbound effort was hacked clear by Rhiannon Roberts.

But O'Sullivan was on hand to save Wales a minute from time, the Cardiff City goalkeeper leaping to her right to push Hand's header on to the bar.

Wales manager Gemma Grainger told BBC Sport Wales:

"We will take so many positives. My instant reflection is around the changes we made and the impact they had. To play higher-ranked opposition, and the mentality we have when we do that, we are making huge improvements.

"To come here [to Spain] and learn what we have on and off the pitch, we have definitely achieved our goals. We will reflect on that and put it into September's preparations.

"We are at the right place for us. The players go back to their clubs, continue with their pre-season and take care of themselves with the focus on coming back here in September.

"For me it will [now] be about making sure I connect with individual players and building relationships with clubs to make sure we get the best out of them, and obviously making sure we are prepared for the opposition."