As over 5,000 fans began drifting from Millwall’s New Den, Wales women’s boss Jarmo Matikainen led his players straight into a post-match huddle.

Standing shoulder to shoulder and with their heads held high, the squad took stock of their spirited display under the floodlights on Saturday night.

Matikainen later praised their “great character” against on the world’s most talented and in-form sides.

England had scored a stunning 14 goals in their opening qualifiers against Belarus and Turkey — 10 of them before half-time.

Wales, however, frustrated their hosts who were desperate to seal the 150th anniversary of the FA with a win.

A makeshift defence and midfield kept their distance superbly, putting two banks of four red shirts between England and their goal.

Strikers Helen Ward and Sarah Wiltshire pressed hard further up field to relieve the pressure on their compatriots.

When tactical discipline couldn’t contain England’s threat, heroic captain Jess Fishlock threw herself into last-ditch challenges despite carrying a suspected broken wrist.

It was only two lapses in concentration that allowed Jordan Nobbs and Toni Duggan to fire past otherwise flawless keeper Nicola Davies.

Fishlock was forced off soon after and Wales could have capitulated.

But the challenge seemed to embolden the Dragons, who saw Angharad James, Loren Dykes and Helen Ward all go close.

For Matikainen, his side’s late rally just offered further reason to be disappointed not to have taken at least one crucial World Cup qualifying point.

“Even if I am pleased with the progress we’re making, we still hate losing a game,” he admitted.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a man who studied a degree in politics and recently wrote a national strategy for women’s football, Matikainen avoided cliched football-speak and offered a hint of his scientific approach.

“Whichever way we look at it — and we will look at it — we will feel that we could have got something out of the game if we had been a little bit more precise in certain areas,” he added.

“That’s one part of the progress, that we are not happy to lose with a small margin to the top teams.”

Despite this loss Wales remain second in a group of six after beating Belarus on the opening day of the campaign last month.

That must bode well for Wales’s trip next month to Montenegro, whom Belarus have already beaten 3-1.

Wales’s Finnish coach however was understandbly keen to keep expectations off his young squad.

“It’s not going to be an easy task. All the opponents in this group are good and away games will be a big challenge,” he insisted.

“If you had a little bit of continuity it would make that work a little bit easier but we’re building again a team with very young players.”

Saturday’s performance proved, though, that his squad have the talent and determination that could yet see them reach Canada in 2015.