Wales celebrate after edging out IcelandImage source, FAW
Image caption,

Wales celebrate after edging out Iceland

Two goals from Joel Cotterill gave Wales Under-21s a vital win over Iceland in Reykjavik in Uefa European Under-21 Championship qualifying.

Joel Colwill and Cotterill both went close before Wales skipper Fin Stevens saw his shot come back off the post in a tight first half.

Wales broke the deadlock shortly after the restart when Cotterill lashed home a rebound when Josh Thomas' shot could only be parried by Iceland goalkeeper Lúkas Petersson.

The goal owed everything to Colwill, who harried a defender to win back the ball after Thomas had lost possession in the Iceland area, giving his team-mate a second chance to let loose.

The same three players combined again for Wales' second, slicing through Iceland from the halfway line and allowing Cotterill to turn his defender one way and then the other before curling the ball into the far corner.

Oskar Borgþórsson pulled a goal back for the hosts in time added on to set Welsh nerves jangling, but Matty Jones' side held on.

Wales remain second in Group I on head to head behind Denmark - who thumped Czechia 5-0.

The nine group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) will qualify directly for the final tournament in Slovakia in June 2025.

The other six runners-up will progress to the November play-offs for the last three finals spots, drawn on 17 October.

Wales have one final group game remaining on 11 October against Czechia at Rodney Parade in Newport.

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