Wales 4-0 Gibraltar: Kieffer Moore double hands Rob Page’s side comfortable win as former Man United starlet Charlie Savage makes senior debut in lack-lustre friendly in Wrexham

• Former Manchester United starlet Charlie Savage made his senior Welsh debut
• The match was played at Wrexham’s home ground the Racecourse Ground 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Wales celebrated their return to Wrexham with a first-half goal bonanza but this friendly win over Gibraltar is unlikely to make it into Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s next Disney documentary.

The Hollywood stars have used their showbiz glamour to transform Wrexham but this friendly was desperately short on drama. 

So poor were Gibraltar that when Wales took a 4-0 lead in first-half stoppage time, a repeat of their record victory – 11-0 over Ireland here in 1888 – looked on the cards.

Yet Rob Page’s men could add no more after the break and it will be a different matter against Croatia in Cardiff on Sunday, where Wales realistically need to avoid defeat to keep alive their chances of qualifying for Euro 2024.

With several key men left out of the starting XI, it was a chance for some of Wales’ emerging talent to shine. Charlie Savage – son of former Wales midfielder Robbie – proved himself a chip off the old block by flattening Gibraltar forward Tjay De Barr 11 minutes in. 

Ben Davies (No 4) captained the hosts and opened the scoring after 22 minutes in Wrexham 

Kieffer Moore doubled the ascendancy within three minutes of Davies’ opener with a header off a Charlie Savage cross

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Sporting a white bench coat, Robbie was in the crowd to see his son make his senior international debut and would doubtless have enjoyed that moment.

On the midway point of the half, Wales took the lead when Ben Davies was left unmarked inside the six-yard box to head in Nathan Broadhead’s corner. Three minutes later, Savage’s cross was met impressively by Moore, who scored off the far post.

Broadhead added the third with a neat turn and finish before Moore claimed his second with another header from a cross by Dan James, who had replaced the injured Wes Burns.

Both sides seemed to press pause in the second half, with Wales making a number of substitutions and Gibraltar content simply to keep the score down. Luka Modric and company will not be quite so welcoming at the weekend.

Nathan Broadhead made it three after assisting the opener with a cool strike from close range

Moore’s second of the game came off a Dan James cross, with the winger on for the injured Wes Burns 

MATCH FACTS

Wales (3-4-3): Ward (Hennessey 45′); Poole, Low, Davies (Lockyer 45′); Burns (D James 15′), J James (Sheehan 45′), Savage, N Williams (Wilson 64′); Cullen, Moore (Bradhshaw 45′), Broadhead

Subs: Beck, Rodon, Brooks, Levitt, Harris, Roberts, Ampadu, King

Booked: Poole 

Goals: Davies 22, Moore 25, 45, Broadhead 35

Manager: Rob Page 

Gibraltar (5-4-1): Coleing; Sergeant, Chipolina, Annesley, Olivero (Mouelhi 45′), Britto; Walker (Coombes 71′), Pozo (Chipolina 59′), Jolley (De Haro 64′), Ronan; De Barr (El Hmidi 71′)

Subs: Banda, Casciaro, Badr, López, Santos, Hernandez, Ballantine

Booked: De Barr 

Manager: Julio César Ribas

Referee: Philip Farrugia 

Attendance: 10,008 

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