A handful of New Zealand’s Senior Regional Selection representatives should be having a good, long look at themselves this morning, and asking themselves if their overall personal performance, against Queensland at Bill McKinlay Park on September 20, was one they can look back on with pride. In other words, did they perform to their potential? Did they do justice to the shirt? While the likes of Rachel Oliver, Nicky Smith and Yvonne Vale, of the starting eleven, can answer this question with a most emphatic ‘Yes!’, there are at least three outfield players in said eleven whose replies should be nowhere near as positive. Those concerned shouldn’t need to be told who they are, but those who witnessed New Zealand’s 7-1 victory over Queensland will have a fair idea to whom this writer is referring. Appearances by senior New Zealand representative women’s sides are not frequent - oh, but that they were! Since 1975, the full national team has played just ninety-one internationals, the most recent of which took place in June, 2000. So when a senior national squad is named, in this case a Senior Regional Selection, those chosen to don the silver fern should be champing at the bit to do justice to the colours, to satisfy the standards set by those who have gone before, by playing with a degree of intensity and passion well above that expected of them at both club and provincial levels, regardless of the calibre of opposition being encountered. That passion and intensity was lacking in the performances of some of those who started this match for New Zealand. Michele Keinzley twice fired wide in the first eleven minutes, while Smith’s close-range header whizzed narrowly past the near post, on receipt of an Oliver corner in between times. The lively front-runner was the dominant individual in the early stages of the game, and in the nineteenth minute, deserved better than to see her well-struck free-kick hit the crossbar. Three minutes later, Oliver, who had a storming first half in particular, stormed down the left and whipped in a super cross from the byline for Kelly Jarden, whose effort was blocked. A further three minutes elapsed before the same player sent a thunderous twenty-five yard drive roaring past Sasha Vijars’ right-hand upright, after more industry from Oliver. For their part, Queensland weren’t exactly lying down and meekly succumbing to their opponents - they were making a game of it, and could well have opened the scoring just after the half-hour. A Wendi Henderson blunder gave the visitors a four-on-three break, with Rae Pryde leading the charge.

She opted for Kerrie Rufus, who scampered past Dana Humby but did not make clean contact with the shot. Yvonne Vale saved this effort, and one from the speedy Sonia Hughes four minutes later. The striker, who had given cause for concern in the fourth minute of the match, had the alarm bells ringing in a big way when catching Melissa Ruscoe in possession. That she was the last defender merely compounded the local side’s problems, but Vale stood firm to save. The goalkeeper sparked a left-wing counter-attack which, after Nicola Morrison’s involvement, inevitably featured Oliver. The Cantabrian powered her way to the byline before whipping in a great cross to the near post. Smith was arriving at pace, even though it was where angels fear to tread, and the striker gained ample reward for her bravery by steering home the opening goal in the 36th minute. Straight from the resumption, Queensland charged again, Tanya Buchan this time leading the riposte. Rufus was released between Ruscoe and Humby, but found Vale advancing to narrow the angle, something the goalkeeper did most effectively. Right on half-time, New Zealand’s most effective performers over the ninety minutes combined once more to double their team’s advantage. Oliver picked out Smith’s darting run to the near post with a corner, and the ball flew into the net off the striker’s head. After the interval, Vale twice came to the rescue as Queensland looked to capitalise on errors by Ruscoe and Henderson. But both Rachel Hume and Hughes were unable to make the most of their chances, New Zealand retaining their two-goal advantage. Keinzley’s greed prevented the locals from extending that lead twice in the three minutes leading up to the hour mark. Latching onto a raking Vale clearance, the youngster ignored the completely unmarked Stephanie White alongside her as she went for goal with Debra McPherson fast approaching. She pulled this effort woefully wide, but two minutes later, fired into the sidenetting when cutting in from the right, this despite team-mates queuing up in the middle for a cross. Smith’s sharp turn and burst forward to instigate this attack deserved a finish far more in keeping with the skill shown to start it. Oliver was denied a deserved goal in the 64th minute by McPherson’s presence, as Jane Simpson fired a cross into the area, while a minute later, Oliver’s corner was flicked on by Smith for Morrison, whose stooping header was smothered by Vijars. Queensland were not best pleased with life in the 68th minute, as Ruscoe and Rufus pursued a

bouncing McPherson clearance which prompted Vale to come off her line towards the danger area. Ruscoe, seeing the goalkeeper advancing, headed the ball to safety, as Vale and Rufus, both fully committed in their quest to gain possession, collided. While neither player was injured, the visiting striker’s penalty appeals fell on deaf ears, referee Stephen Budai not having a bar of the issue. To add insult to injury, McPherson put through her own net four minutes later, as she headed a Jarden corner past Vijars. But Rufus was not to be denied, and fourteen minutes from time, gained ample reward for her efforts when heading home Jessica Denniss’ left-wing free-kick through a forest of players. New Zealand struck four goals in the last eight minutes, two of which were absolute beauties in their own right. After another adventurous run from Smith, in which she evaded three challenges before lashing a shot into the sidenetting, the striker caused Queensland further grief in the 82nd minute. As the visitors claimed a foul on Vijars, Melanie Gooch played to the whistle, and poked home the goal which made it 4-1. Smith completed a deserved hat-trick in the 85th minute, Humby’s free-kick rewarding her darting run through the inside-right channel. The goalscorer’s cross-shot deceived Vijars all ends up - 5-1. Two minutes later, Oliver picked out Maia Jackman on the edge of the goal area with a corner. The substitute sent a quite unstoppable close-range header crashing into the net, and, seconds later, got a close-up view of Vijars’ successful attempt to deny Jennifer Carlisle’s long-range drive, after Queensland had cleared a Jarden corner. The final goal of the game came in the last minute, and it was well worth the wait. Like the Energiser battery character, Ruscoe, having gathered the ball deep inside her own half, kept on going .. and going ... and going ... and going ...! Maroon shirt after maroon shirt were rendered powerless by a run which bore all the hallmarks of a whole lot of pent-up frustration being released. Nothing and no-one was going to stop “Fraggle” on this occasion, and after rounding Vijars, the defender fair walloped home the final nail in Queensland’s coffin - a quite magnificent individual goal with which to round off a 7-1 victory. New Zealand:     Vale; Humby, Ruscoe, Morrison; Simpson (Jackman, 65), Clapham (White, 54), Henderson, Jarden (Carlisle, 74), Oliver; Smith, Keinzley (Gooch, 60) Queensland:       Vijars; Buchan, McPherson, Denniss; Hume, Pryde (Herbener, 60), Caldwell, Souvlis, Bell; Hughes, Rufus      Referee:              Stephen Budai