foreach $row (@{$list}) {
    for(my ($i=0, $matched=0; $i<@vals; $i++) {
        if ( $vals[$i] && $row->[$i+1] &&
             String::Approx::amatch($row->[$i+1],
                                      $vals[$i])
        ) {
            $matched++; 
        } else {
            last;
        }
    }
    return ($matched==@vals) ? $row->[0];
}
# none found; do the insert, get the new id and return it