OIivia Clark column: Big games, big mountains and my famous cousin

Uefa Women's Euro qualifier: Croatia v Wales

Venue: Branko Cavlovic-Cavlek, Karlovac Date: Friday, 12 July Kick-off: 19:15 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC One Wales, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary.

Highlights: S4C from from 22:00 BST and later connected demand.

We decidedly want to put things correct successful this campy arsenic we look to decorativeness apical of our qualification group knowing our destiny is still successful our ain hands if we get wins against Croatia and Kosovo.

We are each focused connected nan occupation astatine hand, but that doesn't mean we are not disappointed to person dropped 4 points to Ukraine successful nan past qualifiers arsenic we only managed 2 draws.

We didn’t really cognize what to expect from Ukraine. Their ranking is not acold beneath us, they mislaid to Croatia which they will beryllium disappointed by, but they gave america 2 difficult games.

We wanted to return lessons from nan first game, but Ukraine executed their crippled scheme brilliantly.

It wasn’t a disaster by immoderate intends but we cognize that nan consequence intends we are now needing to triumph our last 2 qualifiers to put ourselves successful a bully spot and to triumph nan group.

The past draw, especially, felt for illustration a loss, but erstwhile we look astatine it analytically, we aren’t successful a bad position astatine all.

As a goalkeeper it tin beryllium difficult erstwhile you spot nan crippled successful beforehand of you and it is not unfolding for illustration you would person wanted. It tin beryllium hard, you can’t power anything, but yet we person to conscionable springiness in installments to Ukraine I think.

As overmuch arsenic it was frustrating, we haven’t spoken excessively overmuch astir it. Our head Rhian Wilkinson has said it was not nan campy we wanted but it was nan campy we needed, and I deliberation everyone is connected committee pinch that message.

In Nations League Group A, we spent a full twelvemonth really playing higher-ranked sides and being for illustration Ukraine - sitting heavy and playing for a draw. So we’ve had to readjust and I deliberation this has been a wholly different challenge.

We cognize we person to put things correct now and it will beryllium a reliable commencement against Croatia. We cognize it is going to beryllium highly basking and I don’t deliberation nan transportation will beryllium excessively great.

Croatia are not a bad squad astatine each - they hit Ukraine - truthful we cognize we request to beryllium amended and nan power won’t thief us.

Having mentioned successful my past file that it had been a agelong play and that I was looking guardant to immoderate downtime, I whitethorn person misjudged immoderate of my post-season activities.

I went to Majorca for a week of chilling retired but since past I person been hiking!

I went to nan Lake District and we did immoderate beautiful walks location and past went to Loch Lomond and climbed Ben Nevis, truthful I didn't really person an off-season!

Ben Nevis was overmuch harder than I expected. I thought I'd beryllium OK climbing it arsenic I person been up Pen-y-Fan before, but it turns retired Ben Nevis is simply a batch harder.

I did emotion it though. I haven't done loads of hiking, but I really bask it and would for illustration to do more.

I emotion being outdoors. I deliberation a batch of younger group person really sewage into hiking - I spot it a batch connected TikTok. I deliberation a batch of group for illustration to do worldly for illustration that alternatively than going retired drinking.

All nan hiking has meant my play has suffered a small bit. I americium getting better, but nan advancement is slow, particularly pinch my socials.

I've been a spot slow pinch my play societal media but I deliberation I person a rival connected TikTok now pinch my Wales team-mate Lois Joel.

Hopefully she and I tin person a crippled connected campy immoderate clip soon.

Something a batch of group don't cognize astir maine and are amazed to study is that I person a relative who is an world rugby subordinate for Wales, Henry Thomas.

Henry is my mum's brother's son. Henry's dada is Welsh - each of that broadside of my family are Welsh.

Henry grew up successful Bath but he made his Wales debut past year, ironically against England.

He's travel backmost into nan Wales squad now arsenic he's signed for Scarlets aft a spell playing successful France for Castres and Montpellier.

It's awesome for maine having different master sportsperson successful nan family and he has ever been very supportive of my career.

Obviously I don't get to spot him play a batch - it's an occupational hazard, and besides because he's been playing successful France - but hopefully I tin drawback immoderate much games now he's playing successful Wales.

Sometimes we are some connected campy astatine nan aforesaid clip and it is ever awesome to spot him.

No-one other successful my adjacent family is that sporty. Henry's dada played rugby and Henry and I some played cricket to rather a precocious level, truthful it's awesome to beryllium capable to talk to him astir it.