Taiwan proved far too strong for Papua New Guinea in their FIFA Women's World Cup Play-offs tournament-closing friendly at North Harbour Stadium on February 23, thrashing the Oceania nation 5-0 as a fixture which occurred at regular intervals throughout the 1980s was briefly revived. The Oceania Women's Nations Cup was played on a tri-annual basis during that time, an era in which Taiwan was part of the Oceania Football Confederation, as FIFA endeavoured to find a footballing solution to a political problem which continues to cause consternation in and around the area of the South China Sea. Appropriately, the OFC officiating team led by Anne-Marie Keighley oversaw proceedings in what was a one-sided affair, with Taiwan spending the vast majority of the match in PNG's half of the pitch. Inside four minutes, the Asian team had their first sight of goal, Yen-Ping Chen delivering a delicious cross with which the lunging figure of Hsiu-Chin Lee, at full stretch, just failed to make contact. Betty Sam dived to her right to keep the ball out, and was relieved to see an acute-angled cross-shot from Pei-Jung Li rattle her right-hand post in the eleventh minute as Taiwan, inspired by the promptings of Chen and Hsin-Hsuan Pao, pounded away in search of an opening goal. Lee sent a header flashing past the far post soon after, before chesting down a Hsiang-Huei Wang delivery into the stride of Yu-Hsuan Su, leaving her one-on-one with Sam, who was beaten all ends up by the striker, only for the ball to hit the inside of the far post and rebound across the face of goal. Su swiftly gathered the rebound and set up Lee to finish the job, but her finish lacked composure, the ball soaring over the bar from eight yards. Unperturbed, Taiwan pressed again, a Ying-Hui Chen free-kick being blocked by the legs of Sam in the twentieth minute. The rebound fell perfectly for Su to slam home, but she shot straight at the goalkeeper, who looked on as Michaelyne Butubu's timely tackled  thwarted Yen-Ping Chen in the act of shooting sixty seconds later. Taiwan finally broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute … or did they? Yi-Yun Hsu's short corner was played back to her, and sent a steepling delivery arcing over the head of Sam and into the net by the far post, to the delight of the scorer and her team-mates. But our dear friend VAR had a look-see, and determined that Hsu had just been offside when receiving the return pass from the short corner - no goal! A rare Papuan raid materialised in the 28th minute, with Calista Maneo and Isabella Natera combining to present Asaiso Gossie with the chance to open the scoring. She shot straight at Ssu-Yu Cheng, who was only troubled once more in the contest, thwarting Kesai Kotome seven minutes from time after a swashbuckling run by Ramona Padio which saw her take on all-comers, and nearly beat them single-handedly! By that time, however, the outcome of the contest had long been decided, Taiwan having scored three

goals in eight minutes in response to PNG's first attacking threat. Lee played in Yen-Ping Chen in the 29th minute, the winger just managing to poke the ball past the fast-approaching Sam and with just enough pace on the shot to prevent Margret Joseph's desperate bid to clear off the line from succeeding. Four minutes later, it was 2-0, with Chen sending Lee racing through the inside left channel into the penalty area. The striker lured Sam out of goal before slipping the ball across the goalmouth, beyond Su but not Pao, who was arriving on the far post at pace to finally get her  name on the scoresheet during this captivating week of international women's football. Su made it 3-0 in the 37th minute, getting the better of her opponent on the left before working a one-two with Lee, whose return pass afforded Su the freedom of the Papuan penalty area. Sam was afforded no chance on this occasion, but did well to tip a twenty-five yard curler from Yen-Ping Chen away from the top corner in the 43rd minute. Two minutes later, Joseph cleared off the line after Sam fumbled a corner, the 'keeper redeeming herself by grabbing a rasping drive from Wang. She looked on as Pao sent a flying header over the bar, then saved at the feet of Lee as the half drew to a close. With the game already won, to all intents and purposes, Taiwan eased off the throttle a tad in the second spell, all the time keeping the Papuans at arm's length. Su stung the gloves of Sam in the 54th minute, while Wang went close with a couple of efforts from distance in the next couple of minutes. A fourth goal was inevitable, but it came via an unlikely source. Hsu's corner to the near post was deftly back-heeled goalwards by half-time substitute Chia-Ying Ting, a touch which completely deceived Sam in the 65th minute. Ten minutes later, goal number five flew past PNG's number one, Lee rewarded for a fine performance with a goal of her own, having had a hand in the majority of those which preceded her own. Sam was called upon to keep out efforts from Lee - Su unselfishly set her up after beating three players - and Su, a terrific flying save to her left to keep out a missile which was bound for the far corner. Resolute defending prevented Ting and fellow substitute Ya-Zih Jheng from adding to the final scoreline, Taiwan's 5-0 triumph a small consolation for a side which missed out on qualifying for the FIFA Women's World Cup Finals on a penalty shoot-out. Taiwan:     Cheng; Ying-Hui Chen (Chang, 81), Sin-Yun Su, Zhuo, Pei-Jung Li; Wang (Pan, 63), Hsu, Lee (Yi-Wen Li, 81); Yen-Ping Chen (Jheng, 63), Yu-Hsuan Su, Pao (Ting, 46) PNG:          Sam; Yanding, Maino, Joseph, Butubu, Waida (Upaupa, 17 (Laeli, 70)); Pala (Gossie, 81), Morris (Gabong, 46), Bauelua, Padio; Maneo (Kotome, 46) Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley (New Zealand)