The penny has finally dropped. Whilst there may have been a tangible feeling in the air ahead of kick-off that this game was a friendly, the Wales players showed no signs of feeding off that energy.

They were rampant, brushing a flickering Northern Ireland aside with a comprehensive 4-1 win in front of a 6,831-strong crowd - a new record for an international friendly in Wales. 

"We know we are a team that creates chances, so to score four tonight was really pleasing," Gemma Grainger remarked about her side's free-scoring performance. 

"Tonight we really performed in that finishing phase. We've seen four different goal scorers which is another positive for me."

Sophie Ingle was central to everything Wales did right. The Cymru captain is sometimes unfairly boxed off as a defensive midfielder, who makes her money winning the ball back, but she gave a full demonstration of her playmaking abilities in this game.

She twice caught the visiting defence napping with a long-looping pass, firstly in the build-up to Jess Fishlock’s opener before helping set up Hannah Cain’s maiden international goal.

"Sophie is so consistent in terms of her qualities as a player, we see it week in week out for Chelsea, so I'm not surprised by it at all.

"Coming into games and dominating in the way she does is the expectation I have and the expectation she has for herself, we want to see her do that against every opposition.

"I think we saw a very good version of Sophie Ingle tonight."

  • The goals finally flow for Wales

Goals haven't come easily for Wales in recent times. At the Pinatar Cup earlier this year, they scored just twice – one of those being a penalty – from 27 shots, across all three games.

And heading into this game there had been some fears that their goalscoring problems could deepen with the absence of regular centre-forward Kayleigh Green and the retirement of record goal scorer Helen Ward.

Grainger also admitted that finishing the high number of chances they create is something the coaching staff have been working on with the players. 

"When it comes to finishing, if you take a look at the goals we score, they are of such a high level.

"We want to keep putting the ball at risk to keep creating those chances. We will always encourage our players to keep trying to score those types of goals.

"When they do come off they look great, but it's about trying to do the right things which is what we always practice. Sometimes it works better than others, and tonight it's worked really well."

  • No striker, no problem!

With an interchangeable front three of Cain, Ceri Holland and Rachel Rowe, Wales attacked with intensity from the off and showed no real signs of a team playing without a recognised centre-forward leading the line.

"That fluidity is something that we focus on. I think we will get goals from many places in the team, it was great to see two of our midfielders scoring this evening."

The role of being the central figure in the front three, if there was such a thing, fell on Cain, who took the opportunity in full flow, notching her first-ever goal for Wales during a scintillating first-half display.

Her coach was full of praise after her first home game following a long 14 months on the sidelines through injury. "I'm pleased for Hannah," Grainger beamed following the final whistle. 

"We know with the injury she had it can take a while to come back. The hard work she has put in to keep herself at a level of fitness means that she's been able to come in and make an impact for this team."

One trait of Wales under Grainger that persisted was the absence of early substitutions. It took until the 68th minute for the hosts to make a triple change, introducing Ffion Morgan, Elise Hughes and Josie Green, with the game already won at 4-0.