David Brooks' header gives Wales Nations League win over Ireland

15-Nov-2020 19:04:30 | Guardian

Wales will be promoted to the top tier of the Nations League if they avoid defeat at home to Finland on Wednesday, having remained on top of their group thanks to David Brooks’s second-half winner against the Republic of Ireland. Ireland had been the better side in Cardiff until Brooks made the breakthrough but the hosts did not look like losing the lead once they got it.

This was Wales’s seventh competitive clean sheet in a row. Ireland have yet to win after seven games under Stephen Kenny and have scored only once in a run during which they have been ravaged by injuries and misfortune. They will suffer relegation in the Nations League if they lose to Bulgaria on Wednesday. Jeff Hendrick will be unavailable for that game after being sent off in stoppage time for chopping down Tyler Roberts to sabotage a counterattack.