New Zealand’s Football Ferns produced one of their flattest performances in many a moon at North Harbour Stadium on February 17, and Australia’s Matildas took full advantage to record a 3-0 win which flattered their trans-Tasman rivals. But for some outstanding goalkeeping from Jenny Bindon, the Matildas could well have doubled that margin of victory in front of 1,853 paying spectators, who were hoping to see the Football Ferns score a first win in nineteen games against the old enemy in what was just their 25th game on home turf. Instead, they were left feeling as flat and disappointed as the Football Ferns performed. And therein lies the nub - as a team, they didn‘t! Bindon, Bridgette Armstrong - she marked her first start with a top performance, Hannah Wall, and debutant Hannah Wilkinson, who gave her all in a display rich in raw potential, were the only members of the starting line-up to satisfy the standards expected of them. Their efforts were bolstered by the introduction of substitutes Rosie White and Annalie Longo, who both added some much-needed dynamism to a side which, given this rare chance to play on home soil, never really got going. Far too many of the side’s senior outfield players failed to do justice to the shirt they usually wear with passion aplenty, and duly produce performances to match. Not today. Captain Hayley Moorwood, Katie Hoyle, Amber Hearn and US-based Betsy Hassett all looked short of recent match-play - in the case of the last-mentioned, that’s no surprise, given this was her first game back since suffering a broken leg nearly a year ago. Last year’s Lion Foundation National Women’s League affords the other trio no such excuse. However, one of the star turns in that competition, Kirsty Yallop, was muscled off the ball more often in this match than happens in an entire calendar year! As for Abby Erceg and Ria Percival, she of the heavily strapped leg, they had a collective nightmare on the right-hand side of the Football Ferns’ rearguard, so much so that all three goals scored by the Matildas stemmed from exploiting the inconsistencies so often in evidence on that flank. Yes, this was not the Football Ferns’ finest hour-and-a-half, not by a long chalk! In fact, it reminds this writer so much of the inglorious first clash between these countries in 2007, when the Matildas prevailed 6-0 in Canberra. Then, as now, dissatisfaction abounds. Australia, as a team, hadn’t played an international since Italy mauled them 5-1 a year ago. But they were made to look good on this occasion by a Football Ferns team which was far too often guilty of gifting possession to their opponents - the number of times they failed to deliver accurate, quality passes, particularly in their own half of the pitch … They struggled to contain the pace of Lisa De Vanna, too, the striker first exploding down the left in a fifth minute run from half-way into the penalty area before taking on one Football Fern too many. Bindon mopped up in her usual calm, accomplished manner. The home team responded nine minutes later with one of their few raids of note in the entire match. Bindon gathered a cross and threw the ball out to Percival, whose lobbed ball inside found Yallop in rare space. She guided her header into the path of Wilkinson, who took on a defender and got the better of her, but shot early and wide of the near post. There was little between the teams in the first twenty minutes, which was when the Matildas first unleashed their greatest threat, the ability to counter-attack at pace. Captain Melissa Barbieri ventured out towards the edge of her penalty area to powerfully punch clear a Percival free-kick, and it instantly sent Heather Garriock hurtling forward. It needed all of Percival’s recovering powers to thwart the 114-times-capped Australian veteran, albeit at the expense of a corner, which saw Garriock pick out the head of Thea Slatyer. Bindon made the resulting save seem easy - like picking a plum off a tree! She hadn’t a prayer in the 24th minute, however, as Erceg, as is so often her wont, dallied near the edge of her penalty area, and paid the price for her ponderous play. Garriock caught the defender in possession, and instantly pinged the ball across the box and beyond the fast-retreating figure of Wall. Arriving on cue was Sarah Walsh, who fair smashed a ten-yard volley into the top far corner of the net to open the scoring. That strike silenced the crowd, but they perked up on the half-hour as Percival powered down the right and delivered an inviting cross towards the far post, where Hassett was arriving on cue. Clare Polkinghorne, who had a fine game in midfield, tracked her opponent’s run well, and was perfectly placed to head clear. New Zealand’s lack of genuine attacking penetration meant Barbieri and company had little to concern themselves with for much of the match. Indeed, they were doing it comfortably long before the end of the first half, with only a superb save by Bindon prevented the visitors from doubling their advantage eight minutes before the break. Collette McCallum, making her fiftieth appearance for the Matildas, curled in a free-kick from the left-hand edge of the penalty area which the ‘keeper, at full stretch diving low to her right, managed to paw away. Garriock outmuscled Percival in getting to the rebound before cutting in and letting rip a cross-shot … Bindon once more made things look easy. The second half was mere seconds old when World Cup Finals-bound referee Mike Hester wielded the yellow card for the second time in the match, Moorwood’s ill-timed lunge earning her a booking, joining the 44th minute entry for Erceg’s display of dissent. The Football Ferns rightly copped an earful from

Jenny Bindon - super saver Bridgette Armstrong - top performance Rosie White - added dynamism Annalie Longo - made an impact Betsy Hassett - first game back after injury Hannah Wilkinson - raw potential evident on debut

coach John Herdman at half-time, and looked to respond in the 52nd minute. Wilkinson scampered down the right and fired in a cross which arced narrowly over Hearn’s head. Hoyle, hovering, gathered the loose ball and fired in a cross towards Wall. It never reached her, due to the diving headed clearance of Polkinghorne, who directed the ball to Walsh. The striker instantly stormed downfield, continuing her run even after laying the ball off the McCallum, who, in turn, found Garriock and, beyond her, De Vanna. This sweeping move from right to left was afforded a quite superb finish, with De Vanna, having raced clear of the covering defence, clipping a cross into the near post where Walsh was arriving on cue. She opened her body and deftly flicked the ball beyond the wrong-footed Bindon - a quality strike. And one which knocked the stuffing out of the Football Ferns, for a few minutes at least. Cue the twin introductions of Longo and White, and with their arrival, some much-needed vim and vigour, dynamism and desperation, attributes which had been sorely lacking in too many for too long. They made an impact, as did Armstrong on Kathryn Gill, the Matildas’ beanpole striker, who went straight down the tunnel nursing an injury when she hobbled off in the 66th minute, having been done an absolute treat by the youngster, whose lack of fear against the "old enemy" reflected the best traditions of her football-steeped pedigree. Sitting on a 2-0 lead against opponents who didn’t even force a corner, let alone trouble Barbieri unduly, the marauding nature of the Matildas took over in the final twenty minutes, counter-attacking at pace every time a promising Football Ferns move broke down due to final ball failings. More often than not, the visitors outnumbered their hastily retreating opponents as they swept downfield, such as in the 73rd minute, when substitute Samantha Kerr should have done an awful lot better when played through by De Vanna. The duo reversed roles two minutes later - yet another stray pass inside their own half compromised the home team’s creativity - but this time it was De Vanna who was guilty of spurning the chance, shooting straight at Bindon, who was called upon again six minutes later to deny Kerr, after De Vanna had done Erceg a treat as she tormented her way down the left. In between times, the Matildas should certainly have increased their advantage in the 76th minute, the moment Erceg and Percival reached their collective nadir in this match. Both said "Yours" to each other as they attempted to deal with a situation near the edge of their penalty area, to which De Vanna gleefully replied "Thanks" as she stormed between them onto the loose ball, and surged to the by-line. Her low cross was missed by substitute Leena Khamis, but Kerr gathered the loose ball and edged past Armstrong near the by-line before pulling the ball back for her fellow replacement. Cue an air-shot, much to New Zealand’s relief. The goal De Vanna deserved materialised six minutes from time, and oozed quality in its finish. Again, it stemmed from a clearance from a promising Football Ferns raid which instantly sent the Matildas marauding downfield once more, Garriock - a top game - leading the charge. With options left and right as four green-and-gold-clad opponents bore down on three white-clad rivals, she opted for De Vanna, who powered into the penalty area before unleashing a tight-angled shot at Bindon. The ‘keeper parried it, but the rebound sat up perfectly for the Australian, who executed the most deft of chips to beat Bindon all ends up, not to mention those who had beat a hasty retreat towards the goal-line. 3-0, game all but over, although a further twist of the knife was at hand. Before it, Longo’s sweeping ball wide rewarded Percival’s forward thrust, and she picked out White lurking near the edge of the penalty area. She evaded one challenge, but was buffeted once too often as she looked to shoot on the turn, and never made clean contact. Nor did Moorwood in the ninetieth minute, at least, not with the ball. But her ill-timed tackle was to prove costly, referee Hester wielding his yellow card, then the dreaded red one - the first time in her career New Zealand’s captain had seen the hue at first hand. Sympathetic applause rang out as she ran down the tunnel, but the tears were hers alone. Stoppage time saves by Bindon prevented both Khamis and Elise Kellond-Knight adding to Australia’s 3-0 advantage, one which extended their winning streak against Oceania’s champions to nineteen matches, although a scoreline more akin to that early 2007 match would have better reflected their advantage. Incidentally, that series was also a two-match affair, and the Football Ferns produced a performance far more in keeping with the passion and pride this writer has come to expect from New Zealand’s national women’s team over the last quarter of a century in the second encounter. They didn’t deserve to suffer a 1-0 reversal in that Waitangi Day match, so impressively did they perform. The Matildas know they dodged a bullet that day - hopefully they will be less evasive when these foes meet again at Bill McKinlay Park from 3pm on Saturday. New Zealand:     Bindon; Percival, Erceg (booked, 44), Armstrong, Wall (Kete, 75); Hassett (Longo, 57), Moorwood (booked, 46, 90 - sent off), Hoyle (Green, 67), Yallop; Hearn, Wilkinson (White, 57) Australia:     Barbieri; Colthorpe, Uzunlar, Slatyer (Shipard, 46), Kellond-Knight; Polkinghorne (Ledbrook, 77), McCallum (Luik, 72), Garriock; Walsh (Khamis, 66), Gill (Kerr, 66), De Vanna (booked, 90) Referee:     Mike Hester