Chris Coleman praised Wales for taking care of business in Tbilisi after a 1-0 win over Georgia boosted their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
Tom Lawrence scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, his sweet strike from outside the penalty area proving enough to clinch three crucial points on the road.
While they had to survive the odd scary moment in the closing stages, Wales showed they can prosper without injured talisman Gareth Bale.
Coleman admitted the result was far more important than the performance in the battle to secure a top-two finish in Group D.
"It was a tough surface and we found it difficult at times," he told Sky Sports. "The players didn't disappoint.
"We made some great situations which we didn't always capitalise on, but the commitment from the lads was great.
"Apart from the end when it flashed across the goalmouth and the header in the first half, our boys stuck to the game plan and produced some heroic performances."
Wales, who sit behind leaders Serbia in the table, complete their qualifying campaign by hosting third-placed Republic of Ireland on Monday.
While Bale will once again be absent with a calf problem, Coleman's squad are unbeaten in their last nine international games ahead of a critical clash in their bid to reach Russia 2018.
"All we can do is work hard and take care of our business," Coleman added.
"We have a huge test on Monday night against the Republic of Ireland. We have a game plan and we will see where it takes us.
"It was always going to be tight in this group and I felt it would always go down to the last game."
