Wales squeezed past Estonia with an unconvincing 1-0 win in Estonia yesterday to keep hopes of finishing second in their World Cup qualifying European Group E in their own hands.
Kieffer Moore poked in from a yard out to give his attack-minded but defensively shaky side a half-time lead.
They became increasingly disjointed in the second half and were fortunate to preserve their lead as Estonia’s Erik Sorga and Mattias Kait missed good chances.
Estonia, ranked 111th in the world, pressed gamely for the goal which would have earned them a second draw in a month against Wales, who held on for a crucial victory.
The Czech Republic’s 2-0 win in Belarus keeps them second in their Group, ahead of Wales on goal difference but having played a game more.
With Belgium almost certain to secure the only automatic qualification spot as group winners, Wales are looking at the play-offs as their most realistic route to a first World Cup finals since 1958.
They are already effectively guaranteed a play-off place thanks to their success in the Nations League, but finishing second in their qualifying group could secure a more favourable draw in the knockout stage.
