Wales and the Football Ferns served up a dour scoreless draw at the Pinatar Arena in Spain on June 28, the heat a contributing factor to the sluggish displays of both teams in a match littered with stray passes and poor control of the ball. The Welsh were very nearly architects of their own downfall in the third minute, as a wayward back-pass from captain Sophie Ingle put the defence under unnecessary pressure. Both Hannah Wilkinson and Katie Bowen went after the ball, then left it for each other, allowing Hayley Ladd to tidy things up, if you can describe a wild pass across the face of your own goal and just past the far post in this way! The resulting corner sparked a Welsh counter-attack, Rachel Rowe rampaging down the left past three to the byline, from where she pulled the ball back for Liverpool striker Ceri Holland, who just failed to make contact with the sphere to turn it home. Paige Satchell looked to swiftly capitalise on that let-off for New Zealand, beating a couple of opponents on a charging fifth minute run before her touch deserted her at the vital moment, a malaise which very swiftly spread throughout players from both teams as the thirty-plus degree heat started to impact upon proceedings. Six minutes later, the Welsh rearguard was again all at sea, Ladd - a game best forgotten - seeing her clearance ricochet off Wilkinson towards Gemma Evans, who had Annalie Longo on top of her in the blink of an eye. Ladd came across to retrieve the situation, only to lash her latest attempted clearance against Evans, who reacted brilliantly as Longo latched onto the loose ball, the defender's lunging challenge doing just enough to divert the midfielder's shot to safety as Longo looked to open the scoring. The Welsh response materialised in the nineteenth minute, Ingle's defence-splitting pass playing in Natasha Harding on the right. Her shot was deflected past the far post by Claudia Bunge, who had another excellent game at the heart of the Kiwi rearguard. From this point, the half became very disjointed, the ball taking on all the properties of a hot potato as players of both teams struggled to make passes stick, with play lacking continuity as a consequence. It's in such conditions that those whose technique isn't the greatest are invariably found wanting. Wilkinson stood out like the proverbial in this regard for the Football Ferns, but made up for these shortcomings with her willingness to fulfil the duties demanded of the first line of defence to the letter, chasing relentlessly and selflessly in a bid to force defensive errors. Nine minutes before half-time, the best chance of the match to this point fell New Zealand's way. Meikayla Moore's throw-in wasn't cleared, allowing Liz Anton to latch onto the ball and cut inside before unleashing a dipping twenty-five yarder which Laura O'Sullivan had to tip over her crossbar. The resulting corner was played short to Bowen, whose super cross picked out Moore, unmarked on the edge of the goal area. The former Liverpool defender mistimed her leap to head the ball home, however, instead heading over the top from a very inviting position. These close calls prompted a Welsh response five minutes before the interval, but Bunge stood tall once again, blocking Angharad James' shot after

Rhiannon Roberts and Kayleigh Green had combined to set up the midfield general. The Football Ferns' second half display was solid but unspectacular, with too many instances of the penultimate or final pass not finding its intended recipient - as the late, great Bob Paisley once said, "It's not about the short ball or the long ball. It's about the right ball", and that's something Jitka Klimkova's charges are struggling to find in their arsenal. Oh, Hayley Bowden, how you are missed! Nearly a decade on from her retirement, we still haven't unearthed a playmaker of her calibre at international level. This match was crying out for a moment of "Moorwood magic" to break the deadlock and set up a very much longed for New Zealand victory, but alas, the wait continues, on both counts … Rebekah Stott went close with a twenty yard volley in the 55th minute after Malia Steinmetz had been picked out by Olivia Chance's corner, while Wales' only shot on target in the entire match gave Victoria Esson scant cause for concern after Holland had pounced on Bowen's stray pass in the 66th minute. This was swiftly followed by a break down the left by eye-catching Welsh substitute Ffion Morgan, whose cross was volleyed wildly over by Kayleigh Green, one of three players on the pitch boasting this surname, one of whom was recently introduced Kiwi debutant Ally Green, the 195th Football Fern in the national team's history. New Zealand were denied the chance to break the deadlock in the 67th minute by Liverpool defender Roberts' goal-line clearance. The freshly introduced Gabrielle Rennie - substitutions were rife in this half, and broke up much of the game's momentum - made in-roads on the left before cutting the ball back just beyond Satchell. Bowen picked up the pieces, but her poor touch - in keeping with the general pattern of play - took her away from the target. Nonetheless, the Football Ferns' most versatile player found a way to goal via the support of Moore, whose teasing cross wasn't dealt with at all well by O'Sullivan. Chance was the beneficiary, and steered her shot goalwards, only for Roberts to spare Welsh blushes with a sound clearance. With chances at a premium, the match appeared destined to peter out to a scoreless draw, but late drama nearly saw the Football Ferns snatch victory at the death via a superb counter-attack. Kate Taylor cut out a Welsh cross to ignite it, but it was Betsy Hassett who set the move alight with a driving run out of defence before unleashing the speed of Satchell. She brought Rennie into play, and her pull-back invited Grace Jale to deliver an inch-perfect cross onto the head of fellow substitute Jacqui Hand, who was flying in to meet it six yards out from goal. Her header had "goal" written all over it until O'Sullivan brilliantly tipped the ball onto and over the bar to ensure this uninspiring scoreless stalemate would be denied a sting in the tail. Wales:          O'Sullivan; Roberts, Ladd (J. Green, 63), Evans, Rowe (Morgan, 63); Harding (Wynne, 74), Ingle (Filbey, 82), James; Jones (Woodham, 46), K. Green (Ward, 74), Holland Football Ferns:     Esson; Moore, Stott (Taylor, 64), Bunge, Anton (A. Green, 58); Bowen (Hand, 82), Steinmetz (Hassett, 58), Longo, Chance (Jale, 82); Satchell, Wilkinson (Rennie, 64) Referee:     Zuzana Valentova (Slovakia)