Brooks saves Wales in World Cup draw with North Macedonia / Photo: © AFP
Brooks saves Wales in World Cup draw with North Macedonia
Wales handed North Macedonia an added-time present but then clawed back a scrappy equaliser as time expired to draw 1-1 in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Montenegro also scored six minutes into added time to eke out a 1-0 home win over the Faroe Islands. They kept pace atop Group L in European qualifying with the Czech Republic who strolled to a 4-0 victory away to Gibraltar.
Erling Haaland scored as Norway beat Israel 4-2 to move three points clear in Group I. Estonia, who won 3-2 in Moldova, as both teams ended with 10 men, climbed past Israel into second.
All the teams in action on Tuesday were trying to build a cushion before the top seeds, who have been playing in the Nations League, join the action in June.
In Skopje, Wales needed late heroics from substitute David Brooks to save a match that was goalless after 90 minutes.
A minute into added time, veteran Wales midfielder Joe Allen passed blindly backward. Bojan Miovski intercepted and squeezed a shot past goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
"It was one little mistake from a very good player," Brooks told the BBC. "He's been one of our best players ever, so the boys wanted to get him out of trouble."
Officials had indicated four added minutes, six had passed when Wales hoofed the ball forward.
Centre forward Kieffer Moore nodded the ball across the penalty area and Brooks hit a scuffed shot that eluded defender Bojan Dimoski as it bobbled just inside the post.
"We probably deserved more from the game, but we'll take a point from where we were with a minute to go," said Brooks.
The referee briefly halted the match after 59 minutes so fans could pay tribute to the victims of a nightclub blaze in Kocani, in the east of the country, earlier in March.
The result left the two teams tied atop Group J with four points from two matches.
Kazakhstan moved up to third as they beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in Vaduz.
Group favourites Belgium enter the action in June.
Norway took a grip on Group B with a 4-2 win over Israel in Hungary.
Defender David Moller Wolfe put Norway ahead after 39 minutes in Debrecen.
Half-time replacement Mohammed Abu Fani, who plays in Hungary for Ferencvaros, levelled with a deflected shot after 55 minutes.
Norway hit back in two minutes.
Alexander Sorloth escaped the Israeli defence from a corner and his powerful header that eluded backpedalling goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.
Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer scored from close range after 65 minutes and Haaland then beat a ragged Israeli offside trap to stroke home.
Dor Turgeman replied in added time for Israel.
Italy have yet to play in Group I.
Patrick Schick, Vaclav Cerny, Pavel Sulc and Jan Kliment scored as the Czech Republic strolled past Gibraltar 4-0 in Faro, Portugal.
They lead on goal difference from Montenegro who beat the Faroes 1-0 with a 96th-minute goal by Edvin Kuc in Nikisic.
Top seeds Croatia have yet to start their campaign.
C.Blake--TNT
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