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New Caledonia
New Caledonia No Match For Football Ferns
by Jeremy Ruane
A ruthless first half display by New Zealand's Football Ferns paved the way for an 8-0 rout of host nation New Caledonia at Stade Hnasse on the island of Lifou on 28 November, a result which earned Tom Sermanni's charges a place in the OFC Women's Nations Cup Final in three days' time.
There, they will take on Fiji for the second time in six days, after they caused the shock of the tournament by coming from behind to annihilate Papua New Guinea 5-1 in the other semi-final.
The Fijians and the Football Ferns will vie for Oceania's solitary place at both the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals and the Olympic Women's Football Tournament at Tokyo in 2020.
Barring disasters, the Football Ferns will once again be the region's representatives on the world stage. They certainly set about the task of booking their place in the final with gusto aplenty, scoring inside the first sixty seconds.
Paige Satchell stormed down the right past four opponents en route to the by-line, from where she delivered a cross into the stride of Betsy Hassett, who made no mistake from twelve yards.
The scorer went close again seconds later, while Katie Bowen narrowly missed with a header before the Football Ferns doubled their lead in the seventh minute. Catherine Bott made in-roads down the right before fizzing in a cross which Bowen redirected to Emma Rolston, whose goalscoring pedigree in Oceania women's football is prolific, this her 37th goal against the island nations at senior and age-grade levels.
2-0 up after just seven minutes, the Football Ferns showed no signs of stopping over the course of the next few minutes, with Anna Green's free-kick being turned round the post by Lorenza Hnamano before the 'keeper saved at the feet of Rolston as Bowen played her in.
Glenda Jaine's intervention prevented Bowen from volleying home in the fourteenth minute after she had worked a one-two with Rolston, who was played in by Bott seconds later. The striker's pullback saw Hassett's effort blocked by a defender, and eventually cleared off the line in desperate fashion by Darnelle Hace.
In the twentieth minute, Meikayla Moore set Satchell careering down the right to the by-line, from where she picked out Rosie White with a cross which "The Golazo Girl" somehow volleyed over from three yards.
But White instantly made amends, heading Hnamano's resulting goal-kick straight to Rolston, who controlled it neatly on her chest before swiveling to volley home in sensational fashion from twenty yards - 3-0.
Within seconds, Rolston was denied a goal by the offside flag - by half-time, she'd been thwarted goals on three separate occasions via this means. But after shooting straight at Hnamano upon receipt of the creativity of Moore and White, Rolston received a delicious first-time pass from White in the 26th minute and unselfishly set up Bowen to score what, for her, is a rare goal for her country.
White must have been wondering if she'd unwittingly walked under a ladder, because seconds later she missed another nailed-on chance to increase the Football Ferns' advantage.
Receiving a pass from Rolston, the striker instantly sent Satchell off down the right once more and stormed downfield in anticipation of a cross. It duly arrived at the same time as she did on the far post, but White somehow got the ball stuck between her feet, allowing Hnamano to deny her at close quarters.
The post then frustrated White as her quest to score a goal in this match continued unabated just shy of the half-hour mark. Bowen latched onto the rebound and picked out Rolston with a cross. Hnamano grabbed her volley greedily.
The New Caledonians gave the Football Ferns a few moments of concern in this match, with Kamene Xowie, Kim Maguire - playing her first match as a 26-year-old twenty-four hours after blowing out the candles - and Sydney Gatha mounting sporadic forward forays which ensured debutant goalkeeper Nadia Olla remained alert throughout proceedings.
The wise heads in front of her managed to avert any threats before they got as far as the 'keeper, however, with Green, playing in a central defensive
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role, turning defence into attack on the half-hour with a raking fifty-yard pass which sent Satchell scurrying through the offside trap. There was no catching her, and she went on to pick her spot with aplomb.
In between Rolston twice more being denied goals by the offside flag, the striker was released down the right by White in the 37th minute. Rolston returned the favour to her fellow front-runner, who was delighted to finally find the net in this match - her twentieth goal in senior level international women's football.
After another vital headed clearance by Hace prevented Rolston from doing justice to the creativity of Bott and Hassett on the right, the striker finally completed her hat-trick in the 43rd minute, tapping in after Bowen and White - a superb first-time pass - sent Satchell storming down the right once more.
That made it 7-0, but New Zealand should have been afforded the chance to score from the penalty spot in first half stoppage time. White sent Hassett hurtling through the offside trap, and she carried on running, only to be sent sprawling by Hnamano as she attempted to round the 'keeper inside the area.
Tahitian referee Rani Perry, to the disbelief of all present, awarded a goal-kick - a double dereliction of duty by the official, for not only was it a stonewall penalty, but it should also have been a red card for Hnamano, who committed a professional foul and prevented a certain goalscoring opportunity by doing so.
New Caledonia made the most of the reprieve during the second spell, when their eleven players frustrated their white-clad rivals time and time again. Hassett was thwarted by Hace in the 48th minute after Satchell set off on another sortie, while Rolston fired narrowly over seconds later after White had picked her out with a cross.
The sight of Maguire being stretchered off in the 56th minute after Green's well-timed tackle had halted her progress wasn't one either side welcomed - the striker is a popular player on and off the park in both countries, as she's a long-time NZ resident.
After White's thirty yard free-kick had been kept out by Hnamano, the striker got sweet revenge on the hour mark, nutmegging the 'keeper on receipt of a splendidly weighted pass from Hassett to make it 8-0.
Remarkably, that was to be the only goal of the second spell, which in itself is a tribute to the New Caledonian effort. Rolston just failed to get on the end of a White cross in the 63rd minute, while the first half hat-trick scorer was denied a fourth goal by Glenda Jaine's goal-line clearance four minutes later.
Even Riley attempted to get in on the act, but Hnamano prevented New Zealand's captain from scoring her first goal on the world stage in eight years in the 71st minute, three minutes after which Bowen drilled one narrowly past the far post after substitute Grace Jale had been felled on the edge of the penalty area.
Satchell failed to pull the trigger after Riley and Jale had combined on the left to set up their speedy team-mate, while after another goal-line clearance, Hnamano denied Jale on the edge of the penalty area.
Riley was felled in the area three minutes from time, but again, referee Perry deemed a penalty to be too harsh a punishment for the New Caledonians. So Hassett picked up the pieces, evaded two challenges and crossed for Jale, who set up Bowen for a shot which blocked by Jaine.
Right on full-time, concerted Kiwi approach play finally resulted in Satchell scooting down the right and setting up Hassett for a chance to conclude the scoring. But the game's opening goalscorer saw her shot turned over the bar by Hnamano, ensuring the Football Ferns would have to settle for an 8-0 win over the host nation as they eased into Saturday's OFC Women's Nations Cup Final.
New Caledonia: Hnamano; M. Jaine (Broustet, 82), G. Jaine, Hace (booked, 50), Kaemo, Ayawa; Cawa Nemouare, 54), Lolo, Maguire (Ajapuhnya, 56), Xowie; Gatha
Football Ferns: Olla; Bott, Moore (Anton, 46), Green, Riley; Hassett, Percival (Skilton, 68), Bowen; Satchell, Rolston, White (Jale, 68)
Referee: Rani Perry (Tahiti)
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