Forget the circus that followed Gareth Bale to the desolate surrounds of Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium, this trip represented a chance for Ryan Giggs to blood more potential Welsh heroes of tomorrow.
Bale, ostracised at Real Madrid and teasing a Premier League return, enjoyed a first competitive start for more than two months.
But the captain lasted only 45 minutes, having rubbed his thigh. Without him, Daniel James and striker Kieffer Moore combined to stretch Wales’ unbeaten run to seven matches.
As the game fizzled towards stalemate, Moore turned home James’s low cross to settle a largely lifeless Nations League opener against Finland.