OlyWhites v China U24s, 230323

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OlyWhites Down China As Olympic Campaign Begins

by Jeremy Ruane

The OlyWhites overcame a Chinese U-24 selection 2-0 at Mt Smart Stadium on 23 March to kick-start their quest for Olympic glory in Paris in eighteen months' time in the best possible fashion.

A cagey opening stanza, punctuated by niggly fouls which were an unwelcome feature of the first half, was roused into life on the quarter hour by a neat move featuring Jay Herdman, Ben Old and Ronan Wynne, who joined the attack after recovering from a head knock.

The fullback's teasing cross to the near post saw Riley Bidois beat Chinese goalkeeper Jiaqi Han in the air, only to see his header cannon back into play off the near post - a real let-off for China, who countered immediately through the lively Qianglong Tao. He scythed inside off the left flank and rattled the near post side-netting with a rasping drive.

Three minutes later, a vital block by Chinese captain Shenglong Jiang thwarted Bidois in the act of shooting, after the striker had worked a one-two with Herdman, whose return pass was wonderfully creative in a tight area where the scope for inaccuracy was nigh on non-existent.

Either side of the half-hour mark, Han was forced to save from Jesse Randall and Old, to which China responded with a Weijun Dai drive which careered over the crossbar, the striker having seen his corner cleared back to him by Sam Sutton's headed clearance.

In the final seven minutes of the half, referee Anna-Marie Keighley lost her patience with China's penchant for niggling fouls, wielding the yellow card four times, the first of them a needless booking for encroachment by Dai - he should know better!

From the resulting free-kick, Campbell Strong - a solid first half - played the ball wide to Randall, who took on two players, only for Shinaer Yelijiang to thwart his progress. Sutton, following up, wasted little time in putting the ball back into the danger, specifically onto the head of Old, who directed his header past the post.

A teasing 41st minute free-kick from Randall found China's defending wanting, and Han had to pull off a scrambling save to prevent the at full stretch Isaac Hughes from turning the ball home near the far post.

Two minutes later, referee Keighley was pointing to the penalty spot and brandishing the yellow card for the fourth time, Yupeng He's high boot having caught Sutton as he attempted to head it inside. After treatment, the OlyWhites' captain dusted himself down and fired home high beyond the diving figure of Han, bringing the half to a close with the opening goal of the game.

Concentrating on playing the game rather than the man was clearly the half-time message in the

Chinese dressing room, because they started the second spell in a far more assertive manner. Within five minutes of play's resumption, Dai's driving run into the area culminated in his going to ground under the challenge of Wynne.

Referee Keighley was well placed to decree that a second penalty in the contest wasn't merited, but seconds later awarded China a free-kick wide on the right. Dai's delivery was a beauty, but half-time substitute Wei Zhang could only direct his fifteen-yard header straight at the hitherto untested Alex Paulsen.

New Zealand's goalkeeper was well pleased to see Zhang fire wildly wide in the 56th minute, after Dai caught Herdman in possession, while the substitute's acrobatic volley was deflected to safety on the hour after Jiabao Wen had finally managed to get the ball into the danger zone at the third time of asking.

Further concerted Chinese pressure culminated in Abulahan Hliq volleying a cross from Guokang Chen - his first touch since coming on as a substitute - just after the hour mark, to which the OlyWhites responded via a well-disguised twenty-five yard free-kick from Herdman - Han did well to turn it away from the target.

Buoyed by this, Paul Temple's charges threatened again, this time via Randall, who carved his way into the area before battering a shot goalwards. Han beat this effort to safety, but was beaten all ends up in the 69th minute as Bidois rolled the ball past him, China having been opened up by an enterprising run and deft through ball from Old which put the number nine in on goal with just Han to beat.

The OlyWhites' second goal knocked the stuffing out of China, but they recovered to mount a late flurry of chances in search of a goal. Paulsen was forced to save from Chen - a tame header - before watching efforts from substitutes Mingmin Cai and Shaocong Wu clear his crossbar.

In stoppage time, Isaac Hughes' despairing lunge couldn't prevent Zhang from letting fly from the edge of the penalty area, but the sight of Paulsen smothering his effort meant the game was up for China, the OlyWhites prevailing over their U-24 opponents by a 2-0 scoreline which they will look to repeat in Wellington in three days' time.

OlyWhites: Paulsen; Wynne, Surman (Zorocich, 84), Hughes, Sutton (Lobo, 62); Strong (Conchie, 61); Van Hattum (Lee, 72), Old (Karunaratne, 72), Herdman (McKay, 84), Randall; Bidois

China: Han; Yelijiang, Jiang (booked, 42), Wang (Wu, 46); Huang (Cai, 65); He (booked, 43) (Zhang, 46), Hliq, Wen (booked, 45); Tao (Chen, 62), Dai (booked, 38) (Abudvlamu, 75), Fang (Sun, 75)

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

OlyWhites