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Thailand 1
Ferns Make History With Sixth Straight Win
by Jeremy Ruane
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The Football Ferns scored a comfortable 4-0 win over Thailand in the first of two friendly internationals between the countries at Christchurch's Apollo Projects Stadium on April 6, in doing so delighting the 6031 fans present by recording a sixth successive win on the world stage, the first time the Football Ferns have won as many matches in a row in the 49-year history of New Zealand's national women's team.
Having won the first five of those games to win Oceania's spot at the Olympic Women's Football Tournament later this year, Jitka Klimkova's charges were eager to make their first showing on home soil since the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals a successful one, and within 100 seconds went close to opening the scoring.
Macey Fraser's pass sent Hannah Wilkinson hurtling through the offside trap, but her low cross was cleared by the retreating Kanjanaporn Saenkhun, the first of numerous interventions she and her fellow defenders would make in this match to prevent the home team from running riot in a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon in the Garden City.
The next Football Ferns raid started on the edge of their own penalty area, Katie Bowen and Rebekah Stott exchanging passes before bringing captain Ali Riley into play. She worked an opening with Grace Jale before storming down the left and picking out Fraser with her cross.
The midfielder's shot was blocked, but the ball was recycled to Riley, who again brought Fraser into play. This time, the talented youngster fired past the near post from ten yards - by her standards, she should have hit the target at the very least.
That seventh minute raid was followed up soon afterwards by an angled Catherine Bott cross which Wilkinson met with a glancing header. This directed the ball across the face of goal and past the post, but the Thais made a pig's ear out of clearing their lines from the resulting goal kick, only to find Lady Luck on their side as the bounce was unkind to Jale as she looked to capitalise upon the opening.
New Zealand's pressure was finally rewarded in the seventeenth minute when Wilkinson opened the scoring. Malia Steinmetz and Jacqui Hand combined with Indiah-Paige Riley, whose slide-rule through ball left the striker one-on-one with Tiffany Sornpao. The 'keeper was beaten all ends up from ten yards - 1-0.
This goal came in the middle of a lengthy spell of play in which the Football Ferns operated in fits and starts. It was clearly obvious that they were trying to employ a more passing-oriented style of play to their repertoire, but every so often - perhaps a bit too often, truth be told - they would revert to ye olde hopeful ball forward, looking to exploit the physical power Wilkinson brings to the table, especially against the comparatively petite Thai defenders.
Thus it was that the rest of the half saw the home team only occasionally threaten to add to their advantage. One of those instances was in the 24th minute, when Bowen's buccaneering run saw her storm down the right past three opponents to the by-line, from where the versatile Italian-based Kiwi delivered a cross to the far post.
Jale somehow managed to get under the ball and head it up, rather than into the net! When it dropped, Fraser was lurking with intent, but instead of targeting the "postage stamps" shot straight at Sornpao - a glorious chance spurned!
A 32nd minute raid foundered on a poor cross. Bott stormed past two opponents down the right, while Jale was making a terrific run off the ball through the inside left channel. The latter's efforts were for nought, however, as the former's cross can most kindly be described as wayward. Some of the less kind descriptions aren't printable, but can generally be summed up by the phrase "Not good enough!"
Thailand were having trouble with the Football Ferns' physicality, and in the 34th minute lost the services of their captain, Nipawan Panyosuk, to injury. Saowalak Pengngam took over the armband, but was booked before the interval and was replaced at half-time, at which point Phonphirun Philawan was the designated skipper.
She was subbed six minutes from time … did we inadvertently witness a record for most captains of a team in a single international in this match? It was extremely unusual to see so many players in one team sporting the armband during the course of the contest, that's for sure.
The Football Ferns carved out two more openings before the half-time whistle, with Jale and Wilkinson combining on the left before the latter picked out Indiah-Paige Riley. Her chip was grabbed by Sornpao.
That 36th minute opportunity was followed by a stoppage time opening which wasn't exploited. Jale - an energetic performance - spotted Fraser darting through the inside left channel and duly sent her scooting to the by-line, where the midfielder displayed some super footwork to evade a challenger before delivering a "buffet ball" cross to the near post. Alas, no one wearing black anticipated Fraser's cross, and the chance went
 Katie Kitching pots a penalty
 Grace Jale beaten in the air by Tiffany Sornpao
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begging.
The disjointed nature of the Football Ferns' display continued after the interval, with a Fraser free-kick two minutes after play resumed - Sornpao plucked the delivery off Jale's head - the lone threat on Thailand's goal before the hour mark.
Coach Klimkova decided enough was enough, and introduced Claudia Bunge and Katie Kitching to the fray. While the former's influence on proceedings was less noticeable, one couldn't help but be impressed by the dynamism the latter brought to the table - she made an instant impact with her first touch of the ball in the 64th minute to set up the goal which doubled the Football Ferns' advantage.
Bott started the move by playing the ball forward to Hand, but it was her dummy which made things happen. For Kitching was running in behind the flank player and latched onto the ball before storming down the flank as Hand moved inside to receive the pass which the newcomer would eventually supply.
On receipt of it, Hand evaded a challenge before unleashing a rasping twenty yard curling drive which arced away from the diving figure of Sornpao en route to the far corner of the net - 2-0, and a goal which was well worth the wait.
And one which effectively saw the shackles thrown off the Football Ferns - there were more opportunities created inside the next ten minutes than had been seen in the previous hour of play!
Ali Riley, Jale and Fraser combined on the left in the 68th minute, the last-mentioned beating an opponent before cutting inside and letting fly from the edge of the penalty area. Sornpao smothered the shot at her near post, then saved at the feet of Wilkinson seconds later after the striker had been played in by Bott.
Still they pressed, with Kitching butchering a glorious chance for goal number three twenty minutes from time. Fraser and Jale combined once more, the latter picking out Wilkinson in behind the defence in the penalty area. She drew Sornpao out of goal before unselfishly setting up Kitching, who steered the ball wide of the gaping goal ten yards away.
The substitute was eager to make amends for this glaring blemish, and within two minutes had done so. Fraser was involved yet again - a fine personal performance - with two opponents unable to contain her confident work on the left. Her shot was blocked, but the ball rebounded kindly for Kitching, whose ferocious volley stormed past Sornpao en route to the back of the net.
The Football Ferns sensed there were more goals to be had, and set about the task of trying to score them. Fraser once more was responsible for engineering the next chance, a 73rd minute through ball which invited Wilkinson to let fly from fifteen yards.
Sornpao smothered this effort, then denied Fraser the goal her performance merited, saving the youngster's volley on the turn from the edge of the area after Kitching had picked her out with a cross from the right-hand by-line.
Fourth official Rebecca Durcau had her hands full fifteen minutes from time, as both teams between them introduced five substitutes at this point of proceedings. Thailand retained the services of Sornpao in goal, however, and it was just as well, as she kept out another effort from Wilkinson nine minutes from time before punching a Fraser corner to safety four minutes later.
Bott latched onto the dropping ball and sent a volley fizzing over the bar. But she was taken out after letting fly, and referee Casey Reibelt didn't hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot, from where Kitching did the honours three minutes from time - 4-0.
A fifth goal should have materialised in stoppage time. Gabrielle Rennie's pressure forced an error just outside the penalty area, and the substitute was swift to capitalise upon it, slipping the ball past Sornpao, only for the post to deny Rennie a rare goal. Wilkinson tucked the rebound home, but had been in an offside position when the initial shot was struck - no goal.
In the final minute, Sornpao grabbed Fraser's inswinging corner from beneath her crossbar, ensuring that the Football Ferns would have to settle for a 4-0 scoreline as they recorded the 99th victory in the history of New Zealand women's football's shop window side, one which was well deserved, particularly on their showing in the final thirty minutes of play.
Football Ferns: Leat; Bott, Bowen, Stott (Bunge, 62), A. Riley (Barry, 82); I. Riley (Kitching, 62), Steinmetz (Cleverley, 82), Fraser; Hand (Satchell, 76), Wilkinson, Jale (Rennie, 76)
Thailand: Sornpao; Philawan (Kaetkeaw, 84), Saenkhun, Intaraprasit, Keereesuwannakul; Aupachai (Manowang, 75), Rodthong, Panyosuk (Sontisawat, 34), Jinantuya (Yingsakul, 75); Pengngam (booked, 40 (Mongkoldee, 46)), Pram-Nak (Muensri, 75)
Referee: Casey Reibelt (Australia)
 Ali Riley executes a pass
 Katie Kitching
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