Kybunpark
UEFA Euro 2025 – Group D
13th July 2025
The final game of Cymru’s campaign was against our neighbours. The game where we really wanted to get a result, but let’s be honest, we knew we were going to be in for a difficult night.
Embed from Getty ImagesY Wal Goch seem to grow in size with every match and let’s hope it will continue when the women are back home in Cymru and playing here again. Yma o Hyd blasting out in the tunnel when the teams got ready to walk to the pitch, has been an highlight of the tournament. The team walking out to a stadium where more than half the crowd were in red, was an awesome sight. Then the anthem, what more could be said about tonight’s anthem, it was simply more amazing than normal.
I’ve mentioned in previous Euro reports that the goals against didn’t matter and I’m guessing you don’t really want to read a lot about our neighbours goals, so I’ll try and be quick.
Embed from Getty ImagesAround the ten minute mark, the referee blew the whistle for a foul on the edge of the penalty area. First viewing it didn’t look like a foul, but before England had a chance to take the Free Kick, VAR decided to check for a penalty! After a lengthy delay the penalty was given (no replays were shown on TV during this time). Georgia Stanway calmly stepped up and put the ball to Olivia Clark’s right hand side, just out of her reach.
Seven minutes later it was two. This goal was a series of unfortunate events; A clearance rebounded to the feet of an English player, the ball was bundled past Clark in goals, they somehow managed to get the ball to the six yard line, where a shot from Ella Toone was blocked on the line by Lily Woodham, only for the ball to land back at the feet of Toone to score at the second attempt.
Embed from Getty ImagesToone turned provider for the third on the half hour mark. After Lauren James stood with the ball at her feet for an inordinate amount of time, she flicked the ball to Toone who ran past and crossed the ball to the far post. Lauren Hemp headed the ball in off Clark to make it 3-0.
Then came the obligatory goal in the dying minutes of the half. The ball was worked from left to right, where on the corner of the penalty area Toone and James played a 1-2. After an excellent flicked pass by Lauren James, Toone crossed the ball in for Alessia Russo who on the six yard line had time to control the ball, change feet and with a right footed shoot scored in the bottom left corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesBeth Mead made it five with eighteen minutes left after a pass from Agnes Beever-Jones. Mead controlled the ball on the penalty spot and with a left footed shot sent the ball past Clark in goals.
Now the moment of the game that we will all remember and it was celebrated by Y Wal Goch as if it was a last minute winner. Picking the ball up in the Cymru half just inside the centre circle, Jess Fishlock stormed into the English half and on to just outside the D of the English area. She put a perfect pass through to Hannah Cain who was flying down the left hand side and she unleashed a shot that almost broke the net. It was the goal we had all hoped to celebrate. Fishlock and Cain teaming up for one of the goals of the group stages.
Embed from Getty ImagesUnfortunately it wasn’t the end of the goals, Beever-Jones made it six after Beth Mead repaid the favour and provided the pass across the box for the unmarked Beever-Jones to head home from six yards.
Embed from Getty Images6-1 was not the result we hoped for but most of us feared. Let’s not forget England, France and the Netherlands are all at different points of their journeys; we are only at the beginning of ours. We’ve ticked off getting to the Euros on our Bucket Hat List, now let’s tick off the World Cup! Diolch Rhian and her staff, diolch to all the players in the Euro squad and in the qualifying squads. You are all heroes and an inspiration to all the young (and old) boys and girls in the country.
Always remember, it’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons
Sarah Ban Breathnach
Our thanks to @StephenJBaker for writing this and many of our recent Euro 2025 pieces.