THE goal drought goes on for Jayne Ludlow’s Wales as they drew another blank against the Czechs at Rodney Parade.
A record crowd for a women’s friendly international in Wales saw the hosts dominate for long periods but once again they couldn’t find the net.
It is now seven games without a win or a goal for Ludlow’s team, who have not scored since the 3-0 win over Russia at Spytty Park last June.
A 0-0 draw against the Czech Republic, who are ranked four places above Wales, is no disaster but Ludlow will be concerned by her team’s wastefulness in front of goal.
It was, however, a special night for defender Loren Dykes.
She led out the side as she won her 100th cap, which was presented to her by Danny Gabbidon before kick-off, on a cold and blustery evening in Newport.
After a scrappy opening period, the first opportunity of fell to Dykes’ fellow centurion Jess Fishlock in the 18th minute.
But the Lyon midfielder snatched at the chance and blasted over Barbora Votikova’s bar from the edge of the area.
Elise Hughes then released Helen Ward with a clever flick around the corner and the striker fired into the side netting.
Hughes, recently voted the Welsh young player of the year, had a chance of her own shortly afterwards but she headed inches wide from close range.
And Wales continued to pile on the pressure as Fishlock fizzed in a drive from 35 yards that Votikova just about scrambled away for a corner.
Fishlock charged forward in an impressive counter-attack six minutes before the break and spread the play to Ward, but her cross was out of reach for Hughes in the middle.
Kayleigh Green also had an opening before the break, only to be robbed of possession as she prepared to shoot from just inside the 18-yard box.
The Czechs, managed by Euro 96 finalist Karel Rada, created very little until just after the hour mark when substitute Jitka Chlastakova fired just wide from 20 yards.
Up until that point Wales had continued to dominate after the break with Natasha Harding twice being dispossessed when taking aim in the penalty area.
But Chlastakova made a difference for the Czechs after her introduction and the final half hour was a much more even contest.
She crossed for Lucie Martinkova to head goalwards and Laura O’Sullivan was forced into her first save of the match on 73 minutes.
Ludlow introduced Kylie Nolan and Grace Horrell in the closing stages as they stepped up the hunt for that elusive goal.
It nearly arrived six minutes from the end when a wayward Dykes cross beat Votikova and bounced off the top of the bar to deny the skipper a dream end to her special night.
Fishlock then turned in the box and saw a shot deflected just wide, but the hosts could not find the breakthrough.
Ludlow’s team have another warm-up game against New Zealand in Cardiff in June before they begin their Euro 2021 qualifying campaign in the Faroe Islands in August.
Wales: O’Sullivan, Dykes, Evans, Ingle, Williams, Hughes (Horrell, 81), Ward (Nolan, 74), James, Green (Morgan, 88), Fishlock, Harding
Subs not used: Clark, Filbey, Ladd, Lloyd, Estcourt, Wynne
Referee: Eleni Antoniou (Greece)
Attendance: 2,168
Argus star player: Fishlock
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