Wales 4-0 Gibraltar: Robert Page's new-look side claim dominant friendly win in Wrexham
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Kieffer Moore was winning his 36h Wales cap while Charlie Savage made his Wales debut against Gibraltar
A young and inexperienced Wales side made light work of Gibraltar as they celebrated international football's return to Wrexham with a comprehensive friendly victory.
Resting most of their first-choice players for Sunday's vital Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia, Wales started with four debutants and breezed into an early lead thanks to headers by captain Ben Davies and Kieffer Moore.
Nathan Broadhead made it three with a smart turn and finish, before Moore powered in a second headed goal to put the home side 4-0 up by half-time.
The goals and entertainment dried up after the break as Wales made a raft of substitutions but, with more meaningful challenges to come, a capacity crowd at the Stok Racecourse appreciated the bigger picture with Croatia on the horizon.
Robert Page's men were always expected to win comfortably against a Gibraltar side ranked 198th in the world and having lost their previous 11 away games by an aggregate score of 45-3.
The true test will come on Sunday when World Cup semi-finalists Croatia visit Cardiff City Stadium, with Wales' hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 hanging in the balance.
Wales thank their fans in the north
Although Gibraltar represented lowly opposition, this was a fixture of some significance as men's international football returned to Wrexham for the first time since 2019 and only the second time in 15 years.
As Wales play all their competitive fixtures - and most friendly matches - at Cardiff City Stadium, supporters living in the north of the country often have to make long journeys at inconvenient times to attend home games, never mind those abroad.
Staging a match at the Stok Racecourse - the oldest stadium in the world still hosting international football - was therefore a means for Wales' players and staff to show their gratitude to their north Walian fans.
They did so with a flourish, cutting Gibraltar to ribbons with a ruthless first-half performance.
Davies, captain in the absence of the injured Aaron Ramsey, scored the opener as, completely unmarked just three yards out, he nodded in Broadhead's 22nd-minute corner.
Moore got the second four minutes later, heading skilfully back across goal from a fine cross by impressive debutant Charlie Savage, son of former Wales, Leicester and Blackburn midfielder Robbie.
Broadhead added an excellent third in the 35th minute, deceiving Gibraltar's flailing defenders with a quick turn before curling into the net. Moore rammed in a header from Daniel James' cross to make it four just before half-time.
The second half was a less eventful and more disjointed affair, with Wales' substitutions disrupting their flow as Page looked to protect more of his players for the Croatia fixture.
But in terms of the result, the performance and the management of the players' workloads, the match could not have gone much better for the hosts, save for Wes Burns' first-half withdrawal with what looked like a dislocated shoulder.
Overall, this was a valuable exercise for Page and his players, as well as an opportunity they relished to demonstrate their appreciation for the loyal fanbase in north Wales.
There can be no doubt, however, that the only result that matters this week will be on Sunday.