WALES will head to Rodney Parade in high spirits after starting their Euro 2021 qualifying campaign by easing past the Faroe Islands **** with Natasha Harding helping herself to a hat-trick.

Jayne Ludlow's side were hot favourites for the clash with the Group C minnows on the plastic pitch in rainy Toshavn and they made no mistake.

Wales led 2-0 at half-time thanks to extremely early goals from Harding and Emma Jones.

Kayleigh Green then missed a penalty but the visitors stretched away in the second half through two more strikes by Harding either side of an own goal.

Wales will not get carried away and know that they have harder clashes to come with Northern Ireland heading to Newport on Tuesday (kick-off 7.05pm), while the group is made up by Belarus plus World Cup quarter-finalists Norway.

Ludlow's side made a perfect start with four minutes on the clock when Reading's Natasha Harding headed Rhiannon Roberts' cross in.

They swiftly doubled their lead after six minutes when Emma Jones bended home a left-footed strike after cutting in from the wing.

Wales kept attacking and should have gone further ahead after half an hour only for Green to smash a penalty, earned by Harding, over the bar.

A warning shot came early in the second half when goalkeeper Laura O'Sullivan's sloppy distribution led to her having to make a smart save from the Faroes' Ansy Sevdal.

Wales then came close when Harding's cross hit the bar and then struck when Harding scored from the spot after Green had been pulled back.

Harding and Angharad James had further chances but the visitors were a little wasteful and it remained 3-0 as the game past the hour.

The fourth came in the 67th minute when Harding's ball across the box was turned into her own net by the unfortunate Durita Hummeland.

And the hat-trick came in the 80th minute when Harding broke into the box and chipped in, aided by a slight deflection.