Aaron Ramsey scores as Wales beat Latvia to keep their Euro 2024 hopes alive
Wales’ Aaron Ramsey scores his side’s opener against Latvia (Tim Goode/PA)
Wales kept their Euro 2024 qualification hopes alive with a 2-0 win in Latvia as Aaron Ramsey’s 100th career goal and a David Brooks clincher lifted the pressure on under-fire manager Rob Page.
Ramsey stroked home a 29th-minute penalty – his 21st goal for Wales – before Brooks, on as a substitute for the injured captain, settled matters in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The victory was Wales’ second in 14 attempts and gives them renewed hope that they can claim a top-two place in Group D.
On a night when Wales simply had to win or be left with a play-off route to Germany next summer, there was further good news before kick-off as group leaders Croatia did them a favour by winning 1-0 in Armenia.
Croatia are Wales’ next Euro opponents in Cardiff next month, and Page can now look forward to that game after heading to Riga with huge question marks over his future.
The 49-year-old was feted as a national hero after leading Wales to their first World Cup for 64 years, but poor performances at that tournament and in this campaign had prompted large parts of the fan base to call for managerial change.
Page had drawn encouragement from Thursday’s friendly with South Korea – and he named 10 of the side who started that goalless draw in Cardiff.
Aaron Ramsey, left, started for Wales (Tim Goode/PA)
Captain Ramsey returned in place of Nathan Broadhead as Burnley’s Connor Roberts won his 50th cap.
Jordan James made his first competitive start and the 19-year-old suggested he may be a mainstay of the Wales midfield for some time to come.
Latvia had drawn a complete blank in Euro 2024 qualifying, losing all four games, with three of them – including a 1-0
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