Korea Rep 2

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Korea Rep 2

Late Ferns Goals Clinch Rare And Welcome Win

by Jeremy Ruane

The Football Ferns recorded their first win in thirty months on November 30, scoring twice in as many minutes in the last seven minutes to stun Korea Republic 2-0 at Goyang Stadium and square the series against opponents whom they had beaten just once previously, in 1996.

The host nation were swiftly in the ascendancy in this encounter, following on from their come-from-behind 2-1 triumph three days prior, and piled on the pressure early doors against a Football Ferns team fielding debutant Ashleigh Ward at left-back, in place of injured captain Ali Riley.

They were also sporting a change of goalkeeper, one who has donned the gloves for her country just eighteen times at all levels in the last fifteen years, with her last two appearances for the Football Ferns coming in non-cap-earning fixtures against Norway and Mexico in 2019.

Prior to those games, Victoria Esson had been capped three times by the Football Ferns, with the last of those internationals, against the Cook Islands just over three years ago, the only one in which she was on from the start, an encounter in which she was little tested.

Korea were intent on ensuring that New Zealand's latest number one would feature far more frequently in this fixture, and they were helped in the chilly conditions by their opponents' propensity for wayward passing, particularly in the first half, during which far too few Football Ferns passes found their intended targets - Daisy Cleverley, in particular, was guilty of gifting hard-earned possession to the opposition far too frequently for anyone's liking.

In the eleventh minute, Katie Bowen caught this undesirable disease, yielding possession to Korean playmaker Ji So Yun. She sent the lively Choo Hyo Joo scurrying through the inside left channel, from where she unleashed a shot which Esson could only parry.

The rebound rolled towards Lee Young Ju, who was startled at being denied the chance to turn the ball home by the fast-recovering goalkeeper, who blocked at her feet. The ball this time rebounded to Choo, who sent it into orbit when scoring seemed the easier option.

Having ridden their luck this early, the black-clad Ferns were carved open again three minutes later. This time, they tore down the left, Cho Soh Yun releasing fullback Jang Sel Gi, whose cross was met by a diving header from Yeo Min Ji which Esson superbly tipped to safety, flying to her right.

Another example of the Ferns' passing problems was evident in the seventeenth minute, when Meikayla Moore badly under-hit a back-pass to Esson, who was forced into a hurried clearance as Lee homed in on the opportunity.

Two minutes later, the tireless toiling of Ava Collins in attack - she led the line ever so well while on the park - earned a rare corner for the visitors, which captain Ria Percival delivered into the danger zone.

The Koreans cleared it as far as Catherine Bott, who lobbed it back into the goalmouth but just beyond Moore, who strained every sinew in a vain bid to connect with a header and give Korean goalkeeper Kim Jung Mi reason to get her gloves dirty.

After Esson had stood firm to keep out a Jang drive following more good work by Choo - Korea's best player in this encounter - down the left, another raid down that flank, this time following a swift switch of play from the right wing, left Bott and Betsy Hassett having to deal with multiple opponents, Jacqui Hand conspicuous by her absence when it came to carrying out the defensive aspects of her attacking role.

The spare player on this occasion was Ji, of all people. Korea's playmaker wasted little time in unleashing a dipping, curling twenty-five yarder which beat the diving figure of Esson, only to crash against the crossbar.

Choe Yu Ri, following in, headed the rebound goalwards, only for Esson to again recover quickly in time to turn her effort away. Cue Ji once more, with Lee the recipient of her invitation to break the deadlock. This time, Cleverley got in the way of her bid to open the scoring.

The pressure from the red-clad hosts continued unabated, and on the half-hour, it was Esson who came close to gifting them a goal. Left with no one free to pass the ball to upon receiving a back-pass, she found herself under pressure from Lee, who swiftly secured possession and set up Cho for a shot which was headed away by Bowen.

No prizes for guessing to whom Moore wasted no time in giving a bollocking, quite rightly. Esson duly acknowledged her blunder, then proceeded to produce another super save to keep the Koreans at bay in the 39th minute, after Choo and Jang had combined once more down the left, the latter skilfully evading Bott in the penalty area before drilling an acute-angled effort which Esson turned round her near post.

Seconds before this raid, Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova had introduced Paige Satchell to the fray at Hand's expense. Tellingly, the Koreans soon found this once profitable avenue of attack had turned into a virtual cul de sac, Bott being greatly aided by the newcomer's eagerness to put in a decent shift on both attack and defence, Satchell's searing pace severely limiting Jang's forward forays for the rest of the contest.

The sound of the half-time whistle was greeted with relief by the Football Ferns, who had been hanging on at times against opponents who were eager to turn their plethora of possession and pressure into something tangible on the scoreboard. 0-0 it remained, however - would the Koreans come to regret their first half profligacy?

Within thirty seconds of the resumption of play, the hosts were given fair warning that they may well do, enduring a shot across the bows from the Football Ferns after Collins latched onto the ball halfway inside the opposition's half and set sail for goal through the inside right channel.

All the while, she was eyeing the supporting run of

Olivia Chance through the middle, and eventually she looked to utilise that option, unsuccessfully. Had she had the courage of her convictions and continued her charge into the penalty area …

Four minutes later, the Ferns were in again, this time via an enterprising move involving Bott, Cleverley, Hassett and Percival, whose willingness to mix it up in midfield gave the Koreans plenty to contemplate. Her delightful pass into Cleverley's stride on this occasion also gave the natives cause for concern aplenty, as did the midfielder's twenty yard drive, which whistled over the bar by not a great deal.

Suddenly it was the first half of the first game all over again, with the visitors confidently dictating terms. Cleverley lashed another twenty yarder over the top in the 53rd minute, after being involved in a move which also featured Moore, Satchell and Bott.

Three minutes later, Moore flew in at the near post to attempt to head home Chance's corner, only for Cho to head clear just in time. Still the Ferns pressed, Bott being forced back in the 57th minute, only to invite Percival, Moore and Bowen to interchange passes before picking out their intrepid fullback once again.

Bott had ventured well inside Korea's half when this pass materialised, and she duly turned the ball into Hassett's stride. She skipped past an opponent before unleashing a dipping twenty yarder which Kim tipped over the bar.

While nothing came of the resulting corner, terrific work by Satchell soon afterwards earned the Football Ferns possession near the edge of the Korean penalty area. Ward, Collins and Hassett quickly brought Chance into play, and after holding off a challenge in the area she unleashed a shot on the turn which was deflected to safety.

Such had been the Football Ferns' dominance since half-time that it came as something of a shock when Korea earned a 62nd minute free-kick halfway inside New Zealand's half of the pitch. Ji duly pumped it into the penalty area, prompting a pinball session before the ball was eventually scrambled to safety.

Encouraged by this, the hosts started to get up another head of steam, and in the 68th minute, an air-shot by Bott allowed Choo to get into the penalty area and unleash a fierce drive which cannoned to safety off the outside of Esson's near post.

A penalty appeal soon followed, the ball striking Cleverley's arm in the wake of a Ji corner. Referee Yu Jeong Kim relied on the Video Assistant Referee to rebuff those claims, to which the home team responded via Yeo's twenty-five yard drive over the bar twelve minutes from time.

Just prior to this, freshly introduced Football Ferns substitute Gabrielle Rennie - she took over from the tiring Collins - reminded the natives that their guests were still a threat in this contest by creating an opening for Satchell, whose teasing cross was spilled by Kim. No one in black was on hand to capitalise on this occasion.

Nine minutes from time, the Football Ferns ventured forth once more, Bott this time leading the charge. She picked out Chance with a cross which allowed the winger to evade a challenge, only to be crowded out in the penalty area.

Two minutes later, Chance was brought into play once more, this time via Ward's probing ball down the left. Racing in between defenders, her deftly weighted first-time volleyed pass invited Satchell to scoot between two opponents and fire a fulminating first-time drive from fifteen yards over Kim and high into the net - 1-0 Football Ferns, and how they celebrated!

This was the first time New Zealand had led in a match since March 2020, but their advantage was very nearly short-lived. Ward was still celebrating mentally when her error allowed Ji to swoop on a loose ball.

Bowen's brilliant jockeying of this most dangerous opponent bought her team-mates time to regroup, but Ji was still able to find an outlet in the form of Choo, who directed her shot straight at Esson, her first save since half-time - a measure of how well the Football Ferns had performed in the second spell.

And that display was capped off in fine style in the 85th minute by a match-clinching goal which the visitors celebrated wildly - the first time they'd scored two goals in a match since beating Argentina 2-0 in March 2019.

Bott's ball forward had an eager pursuant in Chance, and after gathering the sphere she evaded an opponent before delivering a quite deliciously weighted cross through the corridor of uncertainty, that area between the goalkeeper and her defenders where hesitancy reigns - unless you're a striker!

Rennie didn't, and the Koreans' sluggish reaction allowed her the time to squeeze the ball past Kim and the retreating defenders, the sphere creeping over the line next to the post to the undisguised delight of Klimkova and her charges.

Korea pressed in vain for a way back into the contest, the visitors' resolute defending in the time remaining ensuring a repeat of that Argentinian scoreline as they recorded their first victory on the world stage - and the first of Klimkova's tenure - since edging England 1-0 in June 2019.

That was sixteen games ago. This win has been a long time coming for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final co-hosts, but definitely worth waiting for. And given the number of first choice regulars who were unavailable for this tour for various reasons, the achievement is all the more commendable - a great foundation stone on which to build in 2022 and beyond.

Korea Rep.: J. Kim; H. Kim, Lim, Shim (Hong, 73), Jang; Y. Lee (M. Cho, 89), Ji, S. Cho (Park, 73); Choe (Son, 79), Yeo (G. Lee, 79), Choo

Football Ferns: Esson; Bott, Moore, Bowen, Ward; Hassett, Percival, Cleverley; Hand (Satchell, 37 (Rood, 90)), Collins (Rennie, 69), Chance

Referee: Yu Jeong Kim (Korea Republic)

Football Ferns build-up