The Football Ferns edged closer to earning themselves some silverware for all their efforts and exertions leading into the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals on 18 June, defeating fellow finalists Columbia 1-0 to clinch their second win from as many matches at the Matchworld Women’s Cup in Switzerland. Just Denmark, 3-0 victors over Wales in the earlier game played in the quaintly named town of Apples, stand in the way of New Zealand and just their second honour outside the confines of Oceania, and it is the Danes who face the Football Ferns in their final game in the four-team tournament, in Naters from 3.30am NZ time on Tuesday. The Kiwis may go into that match without their match-winner from this encounter. Ten minutes from time, Betsy Hassett went into a crunching block tackle with a Columbian opponent and emerged nursing an ankle injury, immediately rendering her doubtful for the Danish game. What Hassett had done ten minutes prior, however, was enough to earn the Football Ferns back-to-back victories over non-Oceania-based opposition for the first time since - wait for it! - the Women’s World Invitational Tournament in Taiwan in October, 1981! It was a lovely goal which won the match, too. Jenny Bindon sparked it, releasing Ali Riley, who surged forward before linking with Ria Percival. Her lay-off inside to Sarah Gregorius was touched onto Kirsty Yallop, who turned her marker and slipped a slide-rule pass into the stride of Hassett. The midfielder’s off-the-ball run, allied to Yallop’s measured pass, left Hassett one-on-one with Columbian goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda, who found herself flailing in vain as Hassett calmly lifted the ball over her and into the net beyond. Understandably, the Football Ferns were delighted with their win - their cheers were echoing off the Swiss Alps as Assistant Coach Tony Readings spoke about the game afterwards. "We started well in the first half, and were in control for the majority of the game, apart from a sluggish start to the second half and some Columbian pressure late in the game as they sought an equaliser.

"Generally, it was another professional performance on quite a heavy pitch. While the first game against Wales was played in bright sunshine, it’s rained a lot here since, and the pitch reflected that rainfall. It’s quite hot, too, certainly compared to back home". Hassett, Gregorius - who was denied on a couple of occasions in the first half by Sepulveda - and the solidly-performed Anna Green produced eye-catching displays as the team gave captain Rebecca Smith the perfect belated thirtieth birthday present - a win. And it’s a win which Hayley Moorwood in particular will savour. After all, it’s not every day you become the most capped player in the history of your country, a milestone which a youngster sporting a white headband who made a scoring debut against Samoa in Canberra in April 2003 could scarcely have imagined coming to pass, given the infrequency of New Zealand women’s internationals at that time. As they did at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals in China, the Danes will present the Football Ferns with a big challenge in what will be the Kiwis’ final game before Germany 2011. Denmark won that match 2-0, and having missed out on qualifying for these Finals, will be keen to prove a point of sorts. "They will be very difficult opponents", concedes Readings, "as they look physically bigger than us, play good football and counter-attack well. It’ll be a tough game". A win or a draw on Tuesday morning would see the Football Ferns earn some tangible reward for their endeavours, but they may have to achieve it with some changes to their usual line-up, in light of Hassett’s ankle injury, concerns surrounding twinges which Amber Hearn and Gregorius are enduring, and while being mindful of their prime objective - the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals, now just a week away. Columbia:     Sepulveda; Peralta, Muñoz, Montaño, Arias; Ariza, Montoya, Dominguez, Rodallega; Andrade, Vida Football Ferns:     Bindon; Riley, Smith, Erceg, Green; Percival (Bowen, 75), Hoyle (Longo, 75), Hearn (Moorwood, 60), Hassett (McLaughlin, 84); Wilkinson (Yallop, 60), Gregorius (Kete, 75)