The Football Ferns will meet the Solomon Islands in the final of the OFC Olympic Women's Qualifying Tournament after overcoming the challenge of Fiji 7-1 in their semi-final at the FFS Football Stadium in Apia on 16 February. The Fijians made an eye-catching start to the contest, with Elesi Tabunase's pace in particular a cause of concern. Indeed, it was this which earned Fiji a free-kick inside the first thirty seconds of the match, Grace Neville felling the striker. Cema Nasau sent her thirty yard free-kick over the crossbar, however, and any hopes Fiji held of causing a massive boilover soon fell by the wayside. With their first attack, the Football Ferns opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Jacqui Hand scampered past Filomena Racea and Unaisi Tuberi before pulling the ball back to the unmarked Indiah-Paige Riley, who swept the ball into the far corner of the net from twelve yards. The duo looked to reverse the roles five minutes later, Riley roasting Racea then sweeping past two more opponents before inviting Hand to let fly. She took an extra, unnecessary touch, and in doing so lost the chance to find the net - why didn't she shoot first time? These attacks apart, Fiji defended decidedly well against their more vaunted opponents, making interceptions aplenty and anticipating moves well, although it must be said some sloppy passing by the Football Ferns aided the cause of Angeline Chua's charges. Come the 24th minute, however, Fiji found themselves two goals down. Kate Taylor picked out Hand, who instantly brought Riley into play. She sent Gabrielle Rennie scurrying down the right into the penalty area, from where she delivered a cross which Hand fired into the top corner of the net. That goal saw the Football Ferns move up a gear, and within a minute they came close to netting a third goal. Riley, Rennie and Neville combined on the right, with Rennie's pull-back for Riley being prevented from reaching the schemer by Tuberi's timely clearance. Hand latched onto the ball seconds later, and was felled in the penalty area by Sofi Diyalowai. It was as clear-cut a penalty as you could wish to see, but referee David Yareboinen saw things differently, and play continued, much to the disbelief of the upended attacker. Fiji fired their second shot in anger in the 28th minute. Preeya Singh pounced on a stray pass and set up Nasau for a shot, but her twenty yard strike afforded Anna Leat an easy save, something her opposite number, Selai Tikoisuva, wasn't afforded by the Football Ferns' forward line in the minutes which followed. Nine minutes before half-time, Hand and Rennie combined with Riley, who got to the by-line before inviting Neville to let fly. The fullback fair hammered the ball at the target, only to see her missile crash off the inside of the far post and rebound straight to Tikoisuva. Three minutes later, Angeline Rekha's solid challenge prevented Riley from converting a cross from Hand, while Riley sent a shot narrowly past the post in the 44th minute after Katie Bowen, Rennie and Betsy Hassett had opened up the Fijian defence. Three goals in first half stoppage time killed off any hopes Fiji may have harboured of pulling off the comeback of the century. Michaela Foster, Hassett and Hand combined on the left, with the fullback's lofted cross to the far post inviting Grace Jale to soar above Tikoisuva and head home her first goal of the afternoon. Straight from the kick-off, Bowen and Riley worked a one-two which saw the central defender surge into the penalty area before whipping in a low cross which deceived the goalkeeper and Tuberi. Hand was hovering with intent, and bundled the ball home before either Fijian player could retrieve the situation. Riley was having a field day - she's had a fabulous tournament so far - and on this occasion stormed past three opponents before delivering a slide-rule pass to which Rennie failed to do justice by firing over the crossbar when putting the ball in the net appeared to be the easier option. Riley showed her how it's done with virtually the last kick of the half. Rebekah Stott picked out Hand, whose great ball inside released Jale at pace through the defence. The Football Fern with Fijian heritage delivered a measured cross into the stride of Riley, who was arriving on cue and duly steered the ball past Tikoisuva to bring about the 5-0 half-time scoreline. The Football Ferns were on the front foot from the outset in the second half, with Taylor threading a pass through to Riley in the 48th minute. Her rising

drive beat Tikoisuva, only to crash against the crossbar. Rennie was following in and latched onto the rebound, only for the 'keeper to somehow keep out her effort from point blank range. Sadly for Tikoisuva, she injured herself in the process of pulling off that save, and was unable to continue, presenting Seruwaia Vasuitoga with the chance to frustrate the Football Ferns with her goalkeeping exploits. The newcomer didn't have long to wait to put her plans into practice, Vasuitoga racing out to prevent Jale from getting on the end of a Hand pass in the 51st minute. Stott was also thwarted on the edge of the penalty area soon afterwards, following a rampaging run deep into Fijian territory by New Zealand's captain. On the hour, Vasuitoga punched a Foster corner away from goal, but only as far as Taylor, whose improvised overhead kick cleared the crossbar. Soon after, a timely tackle by Nasau thwarted Hassett on the edge of the area, after she'd been picked out by Hand. Hassett was to be thwarted again in the 65th minute, but this time there was a question about the legitimacy of the denial. Leat tends towards over-confidence at the best of times, and nearly paid the price for it on this occasion, just getting a pass away to Mackenzie Barry before Tabunase caught her in possession. Barry swiftly picked out Taylor, who worked a one-two with the irrepressible Riley before picking out Hassett. Vasuitoga hurtled off her line to foil the most experienced member of the Football Ferns squad, but appeared to handle the ball outside her penalty area in doing so. Referee Yareboinen saw no offence, and play continued. Back came Fiji, substitute Narieta Leba getting the better of both Barry and Jale before angling a pass into the stride of Tabunase, whose hopes of scoring were foiled by Foster's timely block on the edge of the penalty area. This prompted a counter-attack, from which the Football Ferns made it 6-0. Taylor picked out the freshly introduced figure of Hannah Wilkinson, who hurdled the approaching figure of Vasuitoga but was forced to the by-line. From there, she played the ball back to Riley, who delivered a lovely hanging cross to the far post, where Rennie was arriving on cue to head the ball back across goal to Jale, who did the honours from close range in the 67th minute. Riley led the Football Ferns' pursuit of a seventh goal in the next fifteen minutes, first riding three challenges before inviting Foster to let fly. Her twenty-five yarder flew narrowly past the post, while Wilkinson sent a low drive past the upright upon receipt of a superb reverse pass from Riley. Seven minutes from time came New Zealand's seventh goal, Jale completing a headed hat-trick by nodding home after Foster's corner had been headed across goal by Wilkinson - the first hat-trick scored by a Football Fern on international duty since Emma Rolston's treble against New Caledonia in the 2018 OFC Women's World Cup qualifying tournament. There should have been more goals for Jitka Klimkova's charges, but Mr Yareboinen made some quite staggering calls in the dying minutes to prevent them from materialising. Barry was the victim of a decidedly over-vigorous challenge from Adi Litia Bakaniceva which was a free-kick every day of the week, except this one! If you thought that 87th minute decision was well out of order, you hadn't seen nothing yet! Three minutes later, however, substitute Ava Collins motored down the left before inviting Wilkinson to let fly. Her shot hit the outstretched arm of Evivi Buka - a clear penalty, but not in the eyes of the Papua New Guinea-based official … Vasuitoga made two fine saves to foil Wilkinson and Katie Kitching before the final whistle, but in between these came the biggest cheer of the day, as Fiji scored a stoppage time consolation goal. Rekha's free-kick was flicked on by Tabunase, and Barry's failure to clear the sphere was punished by Nasau, who surged between the defender and Stott before prodding the ball between the legs of the fast-approaching Leat and into the net beyond, bringing about the final 7-1 scoreline. Fiji:          Tikoisuva (Vasuitoga, 50); Laulaba, Rekha, Tuberi (Buka, 60), Racea; Tabua, Singh, Bakaniceva, Nasau (booked, 69), Diyalowai (Leba, 60); Tabunase Football Ferns:     Leat; Neville (Barry, 44), Bowen (Bunge, 46), Stott, Foster; Riley, Taylor, Hassett (Kitching, 66); Hand (Wilkinson, 66), Jale, Rennie (Collins, 79) Referee:     David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)