That win means that Wales stay top of the group, one point clear of Finland who they face on Wednesday to see who will be promoted to League A. Ireland are now winless in their last five games in the competition and haven't scored in their last six matches. Next up for them is an important match against Bulgaria, with both teams trying to avoid relegation.
Brooks' second-half goal seals a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland for Wales. It was a fairly even first half with Bale hitting the crossbar and McClean seeing a shot saved by Ward. Wales improved after the break though and Brooks headed in from close range to score the winner. In stoppage time, Ireland had Hendrick sent off as he slid in on Roberts when he was the last man.
90' + 5' FULL-TIME: WALES 1-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.
J. Hendrick
Red Card
90' + 4' IRELAND DOWN TO 10! Wales break on the counter-attack following that Ireland corner and Roberts is making a driving run into the box. Hendrick is the last one back for Ireland and he slides in on the substitute to bring him down and the referee shows him a straight red.
90' + 3' McClean swings a corner into the box and it's flicked on at the near post before Ward parries it away. There are big shouts from the Ireland players for a handball by Williams, but the referee waves them away.
90' + 1' SAVE! Nobody picks up Moore's run into the box and Roberts does well to pick him out with his low cross. He lets the ball run across his body before hitting the shot, but it's straight at Randolph who pushes it away.
90' Bale has been directly involved in 13 goals in his last 13 home games for Wales, scoring nine and assisting four.
T. Roberts
D. Brooks
88' Another change for Wales now and it's the goal scorer, Brooks, coming off for Roberts.
87' Byrne plays a good one-two with O'Dowda to create some space for himself before playing in Collins on the edge of the box. He drills a low shot on goal, but it's straight at Ward.
S. Duffy
Yellow Card
85' When Duffy gets back up, he's shown a yellow card for the challenge.
84' There's a clash of heads on the edge of Wales' box with Mepham and Duffy staying down. They're getting treatment on it now and both players are quickly back on their feet.
C. O'Dowda
D. O'Shea
82' O'Dowda is also coming on, with O'Shea making way for him.
J. Byrne
R. Brady
82' Another double change for Ireland now and Byrne is brought on for Brady.
J. Hendrick
Yellow Card
81' James nicked the ball off Hendrick and, in an attempt to win it back, he kicked James' leg and is shown a yellow card.
J. Knight
Yellow Card
80' Knight is booked after he cuts off Morrell's run.
78' GREAT SAVE! Wales counter from an Ireland corner with James playing the ball into Brooks on the left of the box. He holds off Hendrick before firing his shot across goal and Randolph gets a strong hand on it to tip it over the bar.
C. Hourihane
J. Molumby
75' Molumby is also being taken off, with Hourihane replacing him.
J. Collins
A. Idah
75' There's a double change for Ireland now and Idah is the first to make way for Collins.
74' Brady cuts back and curls a low cross into the box. Idah is running onto it in the middle but he can't reach it on the stretch and it rolls all the way through to Ward, who comes off his line to collect it.
72' Brooks pulls away from Molumby and makes a driving run to the edge of the box. His last touch takes it away from him though which gives Long the chance to get across and nick it off him.
70' Wales win the ball back in their own half and Williams makes a driving run down the right. He whips a cross into the far post, looking for Bale, but it's overhit and the captain can't keep it in play.
68' Ireland are trying to push forward following the restart, but they just can't find a way in behind Wales. Idah makes a driving run through the middle, but he's dispossessed by Mepham.
G. Bale
Assist
66' Bale is waiting at the far post and rises above Doherty to get on the end of Duffy's headed clearance to send it back across goal to Brooks.
D. Brooks
Goal
66' WALES LEAD! Brooks isn't picked up as he makes his run through the middle of the box and latches onto Bale's header. Randolph has wandered off his line and the forward heads it in from close range. 1-0 Wales!
K. Moore
Yellow Card
65' Moore goes down in the box under pressure from Duffy and looks to the referee for a penalty. He doesn't award a spot-kick and instead books the substitute for diving.
64' Brady chips the ball into the box for Doherty and it looks like it won't fall for him until it takes a deflection off Davies. Doherty has his back to goal so backheels his shot on target, but Randolph saves it at the near post.
K. Moore
R. Norrington-Davies
62' First change for Wales now and Moore is coming on for Norrington-Davies.
61' CHANCE! McClean's drilled cross takes a deflection off Williams and comes to Mepham in the middle. He doesn't realise Idah is right behind him and has it nicked off him, but the defender makes a great block to stop his shot.
J. Knight
D. Horgan
59' Kenny makes the first change of the game as he brings on Knight for Horgan.
57' Ireland win a free-kick on the right wing and Brady swings the cross into the box. He picks out Long in the middle, but he can't flick his header onto a team-mate and Wales are able to clear their lines.
55' Rodon is looking long with his throughball over the top to Brooks on the edge of the box, but the forward has two Ireland defenders with him. He can't get goalside and Duffy is able to clear his lines.
53' Norrington-Davies has a lot of space on the left and he cuts inside to swing a cross into the middle of the box. None of his team-mates have made a run into the area though and Randolph comes off his line to collect it.
51' Ireland are keeping hold of the ball well at the moment, but all of their possession is in front of Wales. Doherty has pushed forward on the right, but he can't find a way through and is forced to go backwards.
B. Davies
Yellow Card
49' Davies is shown a yellow card after he catches Idah with a late challenge and that means he'll miss the next game against Finland.
48' Davies pushes forward and he fires a shot on goal from the edge of the box, but it hits Brooks. Wales manage to keep hold of it and Bale has a go, but there's no power on his effort and it's a comfortable save for Randolph.
46' Wales get us back underway for the second half!
Wales started the day on top of the table, but have slipped to second as Finland are winning in the other group game. If they want to stay on top, there needs to be a big improvement in the final third. Ireland looked dangerous going forward, but need to be more clinical as they aim to get their first win under Kenny.
It's goalless at the break between Wales and the Republic of Ireland, in a game short of clear-cut chances. McClean had the best chance for Ireland when he drilled a low shot across goal, but he was denied by Ward. At the other end, Bale's long-range free-kick skimmed the top of the crossbar for Wales.
45' + 1' HALF-TIME: WALES 0-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND.
44' O'Shea nicks the ball off Bale in Wales' half and squares it to Brady. He finds himself in a pocket of space just outside the box, so has a go, but it's a poor effort. He slices at the shot and it flies high over the bar.
42' Brooks lays the ball off to James and tries to continue his run into the box for the return when he's brought down. No free-kick is given, so James goes for goal himself, but his shot is blocked by Long.
40' McClean makes another driving run forward down the left for Ireland, but he waits too long to put his cross in. Williams gets back and nudges him off the ball to win it back and set Wales on the counter.
J. Morrell
Yellow Card
38' It looked like Morrell had a small kick towards Molumby, so he's booked as well.
J. Molumby
Yellow Card
38' There's a coming together between Molumby and Morrell and the referee has to go across and break it up. Molumby's booking means he misses the next game against Bulgaria.
36' Idah stayed down holding his ankle after that challenge from Mepham. The medical team have come on to give him some treatment and he's quickly back to his feet, so it looks like he'll be able to carry on.
34' It's another good throughball from Brady and he picks out Idah. He makes a driving run towards the box before Mepham steps across and makes an important last-ditch tackle to take it off him and stop the shot.
32' Ireland are keeping the ball well, but all of their possession is in their own half. It's patient play from the visitors, but they can't find a way through Wales at the moment.
30' GOOD SAVE! It's a great ball over the top to McClean by Brady and he times his run perfectly to stay onside. He's at a tight angle on the right, but he drills his shot across goal and Ward sticks out a leg to deny him.
28' Norrington-Davies does well to head the ball onto Brooks under pressure from Molumby. The forward tries to turn away from Duffy and into space, but the defender sticks a foot out and nicks it off him.
26' Wales are moving the ball around much quicker now, but they can't find a way in behind Ireland. Williams has room to run into down the right, but a heavy first touch takes it away from him and O'Shea comes away with it.
24' OFF THE BAR! Wales have a free-kick in midfield and Bale is standing over it. Despite the distance, he goes for goal, getting his effort up and over the wall. Randolph is stretching for it, but he's beaten, and it skims the top of the crossbar.
22' The corner is played deep by McClean, but it's just over Duffy's head at the far post. It runs through to Horgan at the byline on the right, but he can't keep his cross in play.
20' Brooks holds off O'Shea to get into a bit of space just inside the box and he's trying to pick out the near bottom corner with his shot. It takes a deflection off Long which leaves Randolph with a comfortable save.
18' GREAT CHANCE! Horgan whips a dangerous cross into the far post towards McClean, but Mepham gets ahead of him to stop him having a tap-in. The loose ball bounces to Brady on the edge of the box and his effort is just over the crossbar.
16' Wales are starting to find their rhythm now and are pushing higher up the field. Ireland are sitting deep and making it difficult for the home side to get through, but they can't get a touch on the ball at the moment.
14' James swings the corner into the box for Wales and swings it into Rodon at the far post. He gets caught under it though and his header loops high and wide of the target.
12' Wales won their most recent home game against Ireland (4-1 in September 2018) - a win today would see them claim back-to-back wins against them for the first time.
10' Hendrick dribbles past two Wales defenders before his shot on the edge of the box is blocked by Rodon. The rebound falls to McClean, who curls a cross towards Idah at the far post, but Ward comes off his line to collect it.
8' Williams takes too long to clear his lines and he's dispossessed by Brady. His touch rolls through to Idah on the left, but he's stopped from getting into the box by Mepham.
6' It's a good ball over the top from Morrell for James to chase into the box, but he's being tracked by Doherty all the way. The right-back reads it well and gets an important touch to it to take it away from James.
4' Wales are struggling to get out of their own half at the moment as Ireland continue to push forward. Hendrick tries to pick out McClean on the left with a throughball, but his first touch is poor and it goes straight out of play.
2' Brady steps up to take a free-kick for Ireland and swings a good cross into the far post. Duffy dives forward to get his head on it, but it hits his chest instead and rolls wide of the target.
1' Idah gets the game underway for Ireland!
The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away.
Ireland have scored just one goal in six games under Kenny, failing to score in any of the last five matches. Should they fail to score against Wales, they will go six games without finding the back of the net for the first time.
Stephen Kenny makes five changes to his team after their loss to England. O'Shea, Long, Molumby, Brady and McClean, who returns from suspension after being sent off against Wales, come in. Christie, Hourihane and O'Dowda drop to the bench.
Robert Page makes 10 changes to the Wales side that drew their friendly with USA on Thursday with only Ward retaining his place. Bale is back in the team after missing last month's matches due to injury, while James and Brooks are leading the line.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUBS: Caoimhin Kelleher, Ronan Curtis, Cyrus Christie, Callum O'Dowda, Conor Hourihane, Ciaran Clark, Sean Maguire, Jason Knight, Ryan Manning, James Collins, Mark Travers, Jack Byrne.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND STARTING XI (4-3-3): Darren Randolph; Matt Doherty, Shane Duffy, Dara O'Shea, Kevin Long; Jayson Molumby, Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick; Daryl Horgan, Adam Idah, James McClean.
WALES SUBS: Connor Roberts, Josh Sheehan, Brennan Johnson, Matthew Smith, Tom Lockyer, Kieffer Moore, Tyler Roberts, Rabbi Matondo, Owain Fon Williams, Tom Lawrence, Tom King, Chris Gunter.
WALES STARTING XI (4-4-2): Danny Ward; Neco Williams, Joe Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ben Davies; Gareth Bale, Joe Morrell, Ethan Ampadu, Rhys Norrington-Davies; David Brooks, Daniel James.
Wales are still chasing promotion to League A, having gone unbeaten in their four group matches in the competition this season (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in all of those outings. Ireland, on the other hand, are trying to avoid relegation after failing to win any of their four matches so far (D2 L2). One of those draws for the home side came in a stalemate in the reverse fixture against Wales.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Nations League Group B4 meeting between Wales and the Republic of Ireland at the Cardiff City Stadium!
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