INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: Joy for teenager Mared Griffiths on competitive Cymru debut

Striking sensation Mared Griffiths scored twice on her full competitive debut for Cymru on Saturday.

The 19-year-old from Trawsfynydd delivered a double as Wales hammered Montenegro 6-1 at Parc-y-Scarlets, Llanelli, to claim a first victory in 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying.

Having made five previous appearances, Griffiths was handed her first senior competitive start by manager Rhian Wilkinson and stood out in a dynamic performance up front alongside the more experienced Hannah Cain, a fellow two-goal star.

Currently on loan at Sunderland from Manchester United, Mared celebrated her 19th birthday four days before taking the field against Montenegro.

Cymru had Saturday’s game well and truly won by half time as they took a 5-0 lead into the interval.

The hosts were two-up through Cain and Rachel Rowe before Griffiths tapped into an empty net following a fumble from Montenegro keeper Ajsa Kalac.

Sophie Ingle headed in from close range before Cain completed a double before the break.

Montenegro’s Armisa Kuc pulled a goal back early in the second half, but Griffiths had the final say when she rounded Kalac to score Wales’ sixth goal after latching on to Carrie Jones’ through ball.

This was just a second victory in 15 internationals for Wales, and a first competitive triumph in 11 attempts since their historic Euro 2025 play-off final win over the Republic of Ireland in December 2024.

Saturday’s success meant Wales have made a sound start in their bid to build on their maiden European Championship appearance by reaching the World Cup for the first time, having begun their Group B1 campaign with a battling 2-2 draw in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Griffiths made her senior international debut in February last year, featuring as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Italy in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League. Her first international goal arrived on 25 October in a 2–1 loss to Australia.

She made her first appearance for Manchester United on 8 February 2025, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute and scoring twice in a 6–0 victory against third division Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.

Griffiths was a 75th minute substitute last month on her Sunderland debut in a WSL 2 River Wear derby at Durham and netted a cracker to put her new team 2-1 up en route to a 3-2 victory