WALES face the Czech Republic at Rodney Parade on Thursday night having failed to win since last June and not scored in more than nine hours of football – but boss Jayne Ludlow insists she isn’t concerned.

A record crowd for a Wales women’s friendly will descend on the home of Newport County AFC (kick-off 7pm) as Ludlow’s side look to kick-start their preparations for Euro 2021 qualifying.

Those attending will witness Loren Dykes earn her 100th cap, making the defender only the second Welsh player after team-mate Jess Fishlock to reach a century of Wales appearances.

The supporters will also see their team try to end a run of six games without success, a sequence which started with that heart-breaking World Cup qualifier loss to England in August 2018.

That was the last time Wales turned out at Rodney Parade, since when they have played friendlies in Portugal, Italy and Spain, scoring no goals in three defeats and two draws.

Wales take on New Zealand in Cardiff this June before kicking off their European Championship qualification campaign away to the Faroe Islands at the end of August.

And while results haven’t been positive for Ludlow’s women of late, the national team manager says it is all about getting things right for when it really matters later this year.

“All our preparation games have been important in different ways,” she said.

“We put a plan together that ensured we came up against different styles of play, whether it was Portugal, Italy or Republic of Ireland, and they’ve all tested us in different ways. Czech Republic will be no different.

“We’re stepping on the pitch to try and win, but alongside that there are processes we’re trying to put in place that will ensure when we step on the pitch against the Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland in August, which is our main competition, we win those games.”

She added: “For me as a coach, this is pre-season.

“If you had the Manchester United or Arsenal coach here and started focusing on how they did in pre-season they probably would do that.

“I don’t. I never have done as a manager. For me, pre-season games are about preparation, they’re about ensuring when we step on the pitch for the first competitive game, we win.

“We’ll make mistakes now to make sure that happens in August.”

And when asked what side she will pick for the visit of the Czechs, Ludlow said: “There’s still an eye on ensuring we’re doing the right things in readiness for those games in the future.

“We’ll pick our strongest team but there will be opportunities for the younger players in the squad, that’s why they are here.

“They’ve been pushing in training to try and step on the pitch and there will definitely be opportunities in this game and later in the camp.”

She continued: “All our other preparation games have been away, and there’s a reason we’ve done that.

“It has allowed us to do certain things that maybe we wouldn’t be able to do while we’re at home.

“The fact we’re back here means there’s a change of mode for us. When we play at home, we want to win every game.

“We are going through processes and trying to develop certain areas, but there’s no doubt in my head that they are stepping on that pitch to compete to win.”

Natasha Harding scored Wales’ last goal, a 68th-minute strike in a 3-0 victory against Russia at Spytty Park.

She said: “The last few camps have been about seeing what works for us, how we can change and how other teams might come up against something different with us. It’s not been about results.

“We had a meeting beforehand to say it is important to you guys (the media) because it probably sells a better story, but for us it’s more about performance and bringing the younger players through.

“It will be fantastic to come back here. We’ve got some good and bad memories of this place, but it will be fantastic to see everyone again and keep them with us along the journey that starts in August.”