The Football Ferns earned a come-from-behind 1-1 draw with Iceland at the Mardan Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkey, on Good Friday, ending their recent scoring slump at the expense of their fourteenth-ranked opponents, the highest-ranked team who won't be attending the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals later this year. The match marked the welcome returns to the starting line-up of Victoria Esson, Jacqui Hand and Rebekah Stott, who was making her first appearance in the squad since June 2022. She seamlessly slotted back into the side, and sparked the game's first attack, a fourth minute pass to Hand, whose cross was diverted past her own post by Glodis Viggosdottir, one of three centurions in the Icelandic squad. The resulting Michaela Foster corner was punched out at her near post by Telma Ivarsdottir, who found herself peppered by a number of such deliveries throughout the contest - the fullback's set-piece work was a feature of a solid Football Ferns effort, particularly during the first half. They should have conceded the opening goal in the eleventh minute, however. Katie Bowen stormed out of defence towards halfway, but her pass was intercepted by Iceland's jet-heeled winger, Sveindis Jonsdottir. She motored into the space vacated by Bowen before picking out Olof Kristinsdottir with a cross which found the striker ten yards out from goal with Esson to beat. It was a relieved New Zealand goalkeeper who watched the ball soar over her crossbar - a glorious chance spurned. Back came Jitka Klimkova's team, Hannah Wilkinson's raking pass releasing Grace Jale down the right, from where she laid the ball back to her captain, Ali Riley. The right back's searching cross targeted the head of Hand, but it was the head of Viggosdottir which prevailed, again at the expense of a corner. Foster's delivery this time found Jale lurking beyond the last defender, but she couldn't direct her header on target. Such was the attacking press the Football Ferns were employing, however, that possession was soon theirs to enjoy once more. Foster's throw-in was laid off by Wilkinson to Olivia Chance, whose shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area sizzled over the crossbar. Iceland weren't making much headway with their desired passing game, so effective were the efforts of Jale, Hand and Wilkinson in closing down their defenders. So Ivarsdottir went downtown on the quarter hour, her raking clearance unleashing the pace of Jonsdottir once more. Esson was alert to the threat, however, dashing out of her goal to clear the danger. Jonsdottir threatened once more soon after, doing Foster a treat in the area - one of very few occasions she got the better of the fullback, it must be said - before fizzing in a low cross which was blocked by Bowen, whose versatility makes her such a key component of the Football Ferns squad. When Iceland next attacked, in the 27th minute, they opened the scoring. Wilkinson was being treated on the sideline when Jonsdottir launched a monstrous throw-in which found the Football Ferns rearguard imitating statues. Dagny Brynjarsdottir took full advantage to guide a glancing header beyond Esson and in by the far post … and that familiar feeling returned. But only briefly, for the Football Ferns were swift to get back on the front foot, Stott leading the way. She intercepted a pass and fed Wilkinson, whose physical presence in her own penalty area had been sorely missed when the deadlock was broken. Her twenty yard attempt to level the scores on this occasion flew past the post, but after Malia Steinmetz had seen her deflected twenty-five yarder fizz narrowly past the opposite upright in the 33rd minute, Wilkinson gleefully headed home the resulting corner from Foster on the far post to score her first goal for her country in just on a year. After the home series in February, "Wilky" was critical of her own efforts, saying she had plenty of

work to do to get back to her best. Clearly she's put in the mahi in that regard, as she's potted a few goals for Melbourne City in recent weeks, and now her 28th for her country. And it was a goal which the Football Ferns' efforts in the contest thus far fully merited. They went hunting for a second goal soon afterwards, with Jale, Betsy Hassett and Chance - the latter pair have both played professionally in Iceland - combining to pick out Wilkinson with a cross to the near post. On this occasion, the striker was thwarted by Iceland's rearguard, with right back Gunnhildur Jonsdottir celebrating her hundredth cap for her country in this encounter. Her countrywomen were eager to mark the milestone with victory, and their bid to regain the lead in the 44th minute saw Kristinsdottir foiled by the combined efforts of Esson and Stott. Moments later, another long throw-in from Sveindis Jonsdottir was flicked on by Kristinsdottir to Alexandra Johannsdottir, who directed her header straight at Esson. The Ferns were again numerically challenged when this throw-in occurred, with Chance receiving treatment on the touchline for a knee injury, from which she didn't return to the fray. Her departure coincided with a marked drop in the quality of football produced by both teams throughout a decidedly scrappy second spell, one in which there were few opportunities to alter the scoreline. The first of them, ten minutes into the second half, saw Steinmetz spread play to Jale, who took on and beat a defender before picking out Wilkinson with a cross. Her diving header careered past the far post. Six minutes later, Sveindis Jonsdottir drilled a shot straight at Esson after getting the better of Foster, while New Zealand's number one was called upon soon afterwards to deal with a shot from Iceland substitute Hilin Eiriksdottir. It wasn't until the last ten minutes of play that the Football Ferns mustered another effort on goal deserving of mention. Steinmetz won the ball halfway inside Iceland's half and instantly presented Hand with the chance to lash home the winner. Her rising twenty-yarder narrowly cleared the crossbar. Two minutes later, a Foster corner caused the Europeans all sorts of bother, with Claudia Bunge in the thick of things. The ball was cleared back to the corner-taker, who delivered another delicious cross which Jale, arriving on the far post, met with a header, but one which lacked both power and direction - Ivarsdottir was untroubled, as she had been for much of the match, Wilkinson's goal the only time the Football Ferns directed an effort on target. It was Esson who ensured the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals co-hosts of a share of the spoils in this match, diverting a Svava Guomundsdottir drive past the post with her outstretched foot two minutes from time, after the substitute had been picked out by fellow replacement Selma Magnusdottir. Overall, the draw was a meritorious one for Jitka Klimkova's charges, but the injury to Chance is a concern - without her, the team's creativity is seriously impaired, and the reliance on set-pieces to score even greater, even with debutant Milly Clegg now in the selection frame. A physical battle against Asisat Oshoala and her Nigerian team-mates awaits the squad at this venue on Wednesday morning, NZ time, the Football Ferns' final game on foreign turf before attention turns once more to these shores, this time with the entire world watching. Iceland:     Ivarsdottir; G. Jonsdottir, Viggosdottir (Amardottir, 46), Siguroardottir, Gunnlaugsdottir (Jessen, 80); Brynjarsdottir, Vilhjalmsdottir (Antonsdottir, 86), Johannsdottir (Magnusdottir, 62); S. Jonsdottir, Kristinsdottir (Guomundsdottir, 86), Andradottir (Eiriksdottir, 62) Football Ferns:     Esson; A. Riley (Neville, 77), Stott (Bunge, 68), Bowen, Foster; Jale, Steinmetz, Hassett, Chance (Cleverley, 46); Hand (Clegg, 86), Wilkinson (Satchell, 68) Referee:     Melis Ozcigdem (Turkey)