The Football Ferns continued on their winning ways at the OFC Olympic Women's Qualifying Tournament at the FFS Football Stadium in Apia on 10 February, seeing off a plucky Samoan side 6-0 in the late afternoon heat. While Jitka Klimkova's charges were well worthy of their victory, they were given a couple of scares by the host nation, from one of which they should have scored. Indeed, Samoa was first to threaten in this match, Michaela Foster being caught out by the pace of Sariah Taeaoalii inside the first sixty seconds, the defender being forced into conceding a corner. Anna Leat dealt with Sasjah Dade's resulting corner, but the attack got the local crowd right in behind the host nation, and they didn't have long to wait for their next opportunity. Before they got the chance to cheer, however, the Football Ferns were thrice thwarted by Xeyana Salanoa, one of three sisters playing in this match, all of whom enjoy the same initials. The goalkeeper was right behind Indiah-Paige Riley's third minute shot, an opening engineered by the combination of Grace Jale, Jacqui Hand and Macey Fraser. Four minutes later, Riley was in again, cleverly creating space for a shot which Salanoa saved superbly. Jale was following in, but directed her effort straight at the recovering custodian. The Football Ferns opened the scoring in the eighth minute. Katie Bowen strode out of defence with authority aplenty before sending Jale away down the right. She delivered an inch-perfect cross to the near post, where Hand was arriving on cue to sweep the ball home and settle the reigning champions' nerves. Those nerves were jangling big time in the twelfth minute, however. Taylor under-hit a pass, which allowed Leah Manuleleua to pounce on the ball and take on the defence. The retreating figure of Taylor retrieved the situation, and this time played it back accurately, Leat the beneficiary. At least, that was the plan. The over-confident 'keeper had other ideas, however, and promptly gifted possession to Xevani Salanoa, who found herself six yards out from an open goal - 1-1 surely … incredibly, no! The striker, who was on an angle, sliced her shot into the side-netting - an unbelievable let-off for the Football Ferns, and a moment Salanoa will likely never forget - the moment she should have levelled the scores against the reigning Oceania champions. Needless to say, New Zealand heeded the warning, and wasted little time in getting their house in order. Hand rounded Lianna Soifua before inviting Riley to let fly, but she was once again denied by Salanoa, who had a great game in goal for the host nation. The 'keeper was at it again seconds later, Fraser the player denied this time, but in the sixteenth minute the Football Ferns doubled their advantage. Foster played a corner short to Fraser, who delivered a perfectly flighted cross beyond all-comers to the far post, where Taylor had timed her run to perfection and gleefully guided the ball home - 2-0. After Dade had denied Jale a goal from a downward header, with Foster and Riley having worked a lovely one-two on the left, the Football Ferns further extended their lead in the 23rd minute. Bowen played a free-kick short to Fraser, who evaded a challenge before threading a lovely ball through the defence for the well-performed Grace Neville to latch onto. The fullback's low cross was turned into her own net by the retreating figure of Dade - 3-0. Katie Kitching was next to chance her arm, skipping past three challenges, including one from tireless midfielder Malia Jessop, before being denied by another Salanoa save, the 'keeper retrieving the ball before Hand could capitalise on the rebound. Salanoa frustrated Kitching again on the half-hour, Fraser, Hand and Jale - with another measured cross - having opened up Samoa's left flank once more. The last-mentioned was proving a real handful for the hosts, quite literally in the 33rd minute as Dade hauled Jale back as she pursued Rebekah Stott's clearance, an action which earned the Samoan defender a yellow card. It also inadvertently set up New Zealand's fourth goal. The location of the foul saw Fraser's eyes light up, and she duly unleashed a gem of a twenty-five yard free-kick over the wall and beyond the diving figure of Salanoa - 4-0. Before the interval, Riley and Jale worked a slick one-two, only for the former Matilda to once more be denied by Salanoa, who was relieved to see another free-kick from Fraser clear her crossbar in the shadows of the half-time whistle, Tori-Jan Lyne-

Lewis having handed Bowen her calling card in a manner which earned her a talking-to from referee David Yareboinen. Lyne-Lewis channelled her aggression in the right manner six minutes into the second spell, and deserved better fate than to see her dipping thirty-yarder crash against the crossbar after Taylor had again conceded possession cheaply inside her own half. Back came the Football Ferns, Riley's splendid jinking run through Samoa's defence coming to a shuddering stop in the penalty area, where she was felled by Dade, who, having already been booked, must have had her heart in her mouth when Mr Yareboinen instantly pointed to the penalty spot. The official didn't brandish a second yellow card, however, much to Dade's relief. And much to Samoa's relief, Jale squandered the resulting penalty, firing her effort against the post. It rebounded onto the head of the diving Salanoa and back towards the penalty taker, whose bid to make amends for her miss saw her crowded out by a phalanx of defenders. Half-time substitute Ally Green made quite an impact on proceedings throughout the second spell, first featuring in the 58th minute with an adventurous cross-field run. She ultimately set up fellow newcomer to the fray, Ruby Nathan, whose shot lacked the power to trouble Salanoa. Two minutes later, the Football Ferns went nap. Bowen was once more on manoeuvres, which usually means trouble, and certainly did for Samoa on this occasion, as she played a gem of a pass into the stride of Green, who tore into the penalty area before beating Salanoa all ends up at her near post - 5-0. The pair combined again three minutes later, this time via a one-two, with Bowen taking Green's return pass and slipping a super reverse pass into the stride of Riley, whose rising fifteen yard drive narrowly cleared the crossbar and marked her last act of the afternoon, a performance deserving of a goal, which would have been realised but for Salanoa's fine saves twixt the sticks. Twenty minutes from time, Foster sent Green storming down the left, her low cross ricocheting off Dade to Salanoa, who spilled it. Kitching, following in, was onto the ball in a flash, but Dade recovered to prevent the midfielder from scoring the game's sixth goal. The Football Ferns didn't have long to wait for it, however. After Salanoa had saved at the feet of Jale, she was beaten by Foster's superbly struck "Olimpico", the fullback scoring direct from a corner in the 74th minute. While that goal wrapped up the scoring, it didn't mean the Football Ferns coasted through the rest of the game - far from it! Ten minutes from time, substitute Gabrielle Rennie teamed up with Nathan, who played in the overlapping Mackenzie Barry. Her cross found Rennie arriving on cue at the near post, but Salanoa produced another fine save to frustrate an opposing forward, even though the offside flag was raised aloft on this occasion. Four minutes later, Kitching and Taylor combined for the benefit of Foster, who shot straight at the goalkeeper. Soon after, Foster's cross picked out Nathan, who failed to hit the target from six yards. The ball was cleared to Green, who powered into the penalty area before fizzing in a low cross for Rennie, only for Salanoa to save at her feet. Kitching fired over and Nathan headed wide in stoppage time, in between which Lyne-Lewis set off on another rampaging run towards New Zealand's goal, this time delivering a cross which had substitute Jordyn Eldredge's name written all over it until Foster's timely intervention ensured another clean sheet for the Football Ferns, although Leat knows full well that her blunder should have been punished, and would have been by superior opponents. New Zealand's win confirmed their place in the semi-finals with a round to spare, the clash with Vanuatu in three days' time allowing Jitka Klimkova to give more members of her squad game-time, with goalkeeper Victoria Esson and striker Hannah Wilkinson having joined the party since their opening fixture against Tonga. Samoa:          Xeyana Salanoa; Soifua, Uluvili (Tuatagaloa, 46), Dade (booked, 33 (Eldredge, 85), Ape-Paia (Xehlia Salanoa, 32 (Dowsing, 46)); Taeaoalii, Lyne-Lewis, Jessop, Skeers; Manuleleua (Stewart, 46), Xevani Salanoa Football Ferns:     Leat; Neville (Barry, 46 (booked, 78)), Bowen, Stott, Foster; Kitching, Taylor, Fraser (Green, 46); Jale (Rennie, 77), Hand (Nathan, 46), Riley (Hassett, 64) Referee:     David Yareboinen (Papua New Guinea)