Wales 1-0 Republic of Ireland: Player Ratings as David Brooks Winner Decides Turgid Affair

David Brooks' headed winner helped Wales beat the Republic of Ireland to remain top of their Nations League group, setting up a massive clash with Finland on Wednesday.

In a pretty dull affair, the hosts - who were without manager Ryan Giggs - took the lead as substitute Kieffer Moore caused havoc in the box, allowing Gareth Bale to set up Brooks for the match's only goal.

The win means Wales are one point ahead of Finland in Group 4 of League B, ensuring a draw on Wednesday would be good enough to secure promotion to the top tier.

The defeat is the latest in a poor run of results for Stephen Kenny's Ireland. The Boys in Green are yet to win under their new manager, with just one goal scored during his reign so far, and are second from bottom in Group 4 with two points.

Here are some player ratings for your eyes to take a quick gander at.

WALES

1. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Danny Ward (GK) - 7/10 - Made more saves than counterpart Darren Randolph and ended up with a clean sheet. Solid night.

Chris Mepham (CB) - 7/10 - Used the ball well from the back and was dominant in the air, winning the joint most amount of duels.

Joe Rodon (CB) - 7/10 - Made a brilliant last ditch challenge to swipe the ball away from Adam Idah. Has played a big role in helping Wales keep four clean sheets in their last four games.

Ben Davies (CB) - 6/10 - Booked and will miss Wednesday's final Nations League match against Finland, which will make Spurs boss Jose Mourinho happy. Carried out the rest of his work diligently.

2. Wing Backs & Midfielders

Neco Williams (RWB) - 7/10 - Liverpool fans watching on Sunday night might have enjoyed Williams' showing. He was a strong outlet down the right and his cross led to Brooks' goal. Was limping a little towards the end.

Ethan Ampadu (CM) - 7/10 - Made a joint game high of four tackles, showing how his defensive instincts work to Wales' benefit when he plays in midfield. Good in the air, too.

Joe Morrell (CM) - 5/10 - Somehow wasn't sent off for a horrible hack at Jayson Molumby. Aside from that petulant act of aggression, little else to note.

Rhys Norrington-Davies (LWB) - 6/10 - The Luton defender didn't do badly but wasn't particularly enjoyable to watch. A bit meh all in all.

3. Forwards

Gareth Bale (RW) - 7/10 - Beat Tottenham teammate Matt Doherty in the air to tee up Brooks. Also sent a free kick whizzing over Darren Randolph which just clipped the top of the bar.

David Brooks (ST) - 8/10 - Really stuck his head in where it hurt to give Wales their opener. Wasn't really the focal point the hosts needed but had more freedom to influence proceedings once Kieffer Moore was introduced.

Daniel James (LW) - 5/10 - Quick. He's always quick. But more importantly, the Manchester United winger needs to work on his left foot. Too often wasteful due to his tendency to cut on to his right.

4. Substitutes

Kieffer Moore - 7/10 - Helped Wales open the scoring moments after coming on, causing havoc with his giant frame before Bale teed up Brooks. Also booked for a pretty hilarious dive.

Tyler Roberts - 6/10 - Came on in the 88th minute and had limited involvement, but did play a role in Hendrick's red card.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

5. Goalkeeper & Defenders

Darren Randolph (GK) - 6/10 - Got lost in a sea of bodies for the goal, which was hardly his fault. Made a handful of saves.

Matt Doherty (RB) - 6/10 - Couldn't establish himself as an attacking threat and was out-jumped by Gareth Bale for the goal.

Shane Duffy (CB) - 5/10 - Missed a terrific opportunity from a set piece, failing to connect properly with Robbie Brady's inswinger in the second minute. Couldn't get enough of a connection on the cross which led to Brooks' goal. Booked.

Kevin Long (CB) - 5/10 - Won a few tackles, though WhoScored suggest he failed to win one single aerial duel. You're a centre back, Kevin.

Dara O'Shea (LB) - 5/10 - Not a great deal to mention, really. Hooked in the 82nd minute.

6. Midfielders

Jayson Molumby (CM) - 5/10 - The Brighton youngster was on the end of a kickin' from Morrell which injected a bit of spice into proceedings. That soon died down and game became terrible again. Booked and substituted.

Robbie Brady (CM) - 6/10 - Fired just over the crossbar in the first half. Worth having on the pitch purely for his set piece delivery, which is always on point.

Jeff Hendrick (CM) - 3/10 - An atrocious night for the Newcastle midfielder. He routinely lost possession and received his marching orders for scything down Tyler Roberts, denying Wales a goalscoring opportunity in injury time.

7. Forwards

Daryl Horgan (RW) - 5/10 - Looks like Damien Duff a little. Did little of note before being subbed for Jason Knight.

Adam Idah (ST) - 5/10 - At 19, he's still a baby at international level but looks to have a little bit of spark. Scrapping in the air with Rodon and Mepham was always going to be tricky, however.

James McClean (LW) - 5/10 - Forced Danny Ward into a save. Worked hard all night, but nothing new learned about the Stoke winger.

8. Substitutes

Jason Knight - 5/10

James Collins - 5/10

Conor Hourihane - 5/10

Jack Bryne - 5/10

Callum O'Dowda - 5/10

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