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Thailand 171216
Loye And White Fire NZ 'A' To Victory
by Jeremy Ruane
The New Zealand 'A' Women's squad eked out a solid if uninspiring 2-0 win over Thailand at Mt. Smart Stadium on 17 December, well-taken second half goals from Kate Loye and Rosie White settling a contest which the visitors could just as easily have won, had they taken their chances.
Thailand enjoyed the better of the early exchanges, and it was a stray pass from Loye which presented them with their first chance, in the third minute. Orathai Srimanee swooped on the loose ball and threaded it through to Kanjana Sung-Ngoen, only for Abby Erceg to intervene and avert the danger.
The Kiwis fired the game's first shot in anger eight minutes later, Annalie Longo lashing one over the bar following good initial work by White on the left. But it was the Thais who continued to hold the upper hand, another stray pass from Loye presenting Pitsamai Sornsai with a chance at which she snatched twenty minutes into the match.
New Zealand responded from Anna Leat's resulting goal-kick, although it was an under-hit back-pass from Sunisa Srangthaisong which nearly proved Thailand's undoing, Aimee Phillips only just failing to nick the ball away from Waraporn Boonsing before the 'keeper cleared the danger.
After Leat had grabbed an Alisa Rurpinij drive, Erceg headed an Anna Green corner past the far post in the 26th minute, three minutes after which Thailand squandered a glorious chance to break the deadlock.
Srimanee led a counter-attack, slipping the ball to Sornsai, who switched the angle of attack with a fine through ball which allowed Sung-Ngoen to dash through the inside-right channel, leaving her with just Leat to beat. But she didn't, the 'keeper racing out to bravely save at the feet of the striker, foiling what looked a certain goal.
The natives responded through White, whose smart turn between two players allowed her to then evade a further opponent, only to undo her enterprise with a wayward finish. Unperturbed, NZ 'A' came again, Loye, Paige Satchell and White combining to invite Green to dart in off the left and unleash a cross-shot which Boonsing grabbed as the ball zoomed towards the top far corner ten minutes before half-time.
Further NZ pressure followed, with Phillips playing in Martine Puketapu, only for Boonsing to save at her feet. The number nine had another chance to strike as half-time approached, having been played in by White, but Duangnapa Sritala's well-timed tackle thwarted Puketapu in the act of shooting.
By this stage, Thailand should have been in front. Longo and Loye had a misunderstanding in midfield, and Silawan Intamee was quick to exploit the opportunity. Her pass found Sornsai, whose through ball left Sung-Ngoen one-on-one with Leat once more. This time, she beat the 'keeper all ends up, only for the ball to roll agonisingly past Leat's left-hand post - a genuine let-off for New Zealand.
After Catherine Bott's solid challenge had thwarted Rurpinij as she looked to exploit Srimanee's 49th minute pass, NZ 'A' broke the deadlock in style two minutes later, courtesy a firecracker from Loye. Latching onto a pass from Longo, she unleashed a twenty-five yarder which exploded in the top right-hand corner of Boonsing's net.
It was the goal the game had needed, because in truth, this was ordinary fare at best. Thailand looked to respond swiftly to going behind, with Intamee's thirty-yarder grabbed by Leat just two minutes after Loye's thunderbolt had brought the contest to life.
New Zealand looked to double their advantage six minutes later, Satchell latching onto a loose ball and
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promptly threading it through to Puketapu, whose shot was parried by Boonsing. Before White could swoop on the ricochet, the 'keeper recovered to deny her.
In the 65th minute, Puketapu squandered a golden chance to double her country's lead, mistiming her volley badly after Erceg's ball forward had seen Natthakarn Chinwong's attempt to head clear drop invitingly for the striker, who had just Boonsing to beat.
After Thailand substitute Naphat Seesraum had gone desperately close to levelling the scores with a rasping rising drive twenty minutes from time, on receipt of a pass from Sung-Ngeon, Tony Readings' charges spurned a glorious opportunity to put the game beyond doubt.
Sritala under-hit a back-pass, and Satchell was in on goal with just Boonsing to beat. The speedster opted to round the 'keeper, but Boonsing plunged at her feet to block Satchell's progress.
The ball spilled loose, and White appeared on the scene in an effort to turn home the rebound. But she, too, was denied by Boonsing's bravery, although on this occasion the 'keeper's dive at White's feet saw her head collide with the striker's leg - the end of the line for a brave goalkeeper, who was carried off on a stretcher, to be replaced by Nattaruja Muthtanawech.
The game entered a bit of a lull after this 72nd minute incident, although it wasn't helped by Thailand's attempts to draw level falling foul of Erceg's well-marshalled offside trap. There was plenty of probing by NZ 'A', too, with substitute Katie Rood a particularly lively participant in this regard, having replaced Satchell following her glaring miss.
Indeed, Rood was to feature in the bulk of the incidents inside the last few minutes of play. She sparked an 87th minute attack which culminated in Bott picking out Jane Barnett, whose effort was tipped away by Muthtanawech.
Rood's speed of thought was instrumental in creating New Zealand's next opportunity, a shot on the run from White which sizzled over the bar, much like that fired by Thailand substitute Rattikan Thongsombut seconds later, after Seesraum had got in behind Erceg as the game entered stoppage time.
White was to have the last laugh, however. Rood ignited the move on the right, picking out Jasmine Pereira with a cross which the half-time substitute saw blocked to safety by the legs of Muthtanawech.
The ball rebounded out to the edge of the penalty area, where Barnett headed it back into the danger zone. White, who had been on Pereira's shoulder when she let fly, neatly controlled the sphere then swivelled before volleying in an emphatic ten yard finish which decided the contest.
Barnett went close to increasing New Zealand's winning margin still further deep in stoppage time, her angled twenty-five yarder being grabbed by Muthtanawech. But 2-0 was a solid return for the New Zealand 'A' Women, who take on Thailand in the final game of the series at Fred Taylor Park from 5pm on Tuesday.
NZ 'A': Leat; Bott, Moore, Erceg, Green; Longo, Loye (Steinmetz, 90), White (booked, 56); Satchell (Rood, 82), Puketapu (Barnett, 65), Phillips (Pereira, 46)
Thailand: Boonsing (Muthtanawech, 76); Phetwiset, Chinwong (Saenkhun, 67), Sritala, Srangthaisong; Pikul (Panyosuk, 86), Srimanee (Seesraum, 59), Intamee; Sung-Ngeon, Sornsai (Dangda, 82), Rurpinij (Thongsombut, 71)
Referee: Nadia Browning
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