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Ashley Williams admits Wales have no room for error

Wales players show their dejection after draw with Serbia
Image: Wales players show their dejection after draw with Serbia

Wales captain Ashley Williams admits there is now no margin for error in the pursuit of World Cup qualification.

Serbia's late equaliser in a 1-1 draw in Cardiff on Saturday night left Wales with an uphill battle to reach the 2018 finals in Russia.

The Euro 2016 semi-finalists - who have let leads slips to draw their last three qualifiers - are now four points adrift of Group D leaders the Republic of Ireland and two behind second-placed Serbia.

Wales next head to Dublin in March and Williams said: "We have to win now. But it's not all doom and gloom.

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Highlights of Wales' World Cup Qualifier against Serbia from Group D

"We haven't lost in the campaign yet and we feel we can go on and beat any team. If we have to win all of our games we're confident we can do that.

"Every game is getting bigger and bigger, and when you don't win it's frustrating, to take the lead again and not win the game and keep a clean sheet.

Serbia's striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (L) scores their first goal with this header during the World Cup 2018 qualification match between Wales and Serbia at
Image: Serbia's striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (L) scores the equaliser

"We're a team that have come so far that we expect to win games, especially at home, but we didn't."

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Ireland - 1-0 winners in Austria on Saturday evening - have taken hold of the group after winning three and drawing one of their opening four games.

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Wales boss Chris Coleman felt his side had done enough to hold out for the win against Serbia

Martin O'Neill's side also have four of their next five games at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, while Wales hit the road now with trips to Ireland and Serbia in June.

"The games against Ireland will be difficult, but I think it will be a close group right to the end," Williams said.

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Joe Ledley says Wales' World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland is now a must-win

"We've got to play Ireland twice, Austria at home, and they're all going to be difficult. But we feel we've got enough in our dressing room to win all of them if that's what we need to do.

"All of them are big games now. They were before, but the more it goes on they turn into must-win games."

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