Football Ferns Held To Scoreless Draw in Thailand by Jeremy Ruane

Ferns Finish Year With A Five-Goal Flourish by Jeremy Ruane

Despite dominating proceedings in front of 503 noisy fans at Bangkok's PAT Stadium, New Zealand's Football Ferns were held to a scoreless draw by Thailand in their international friendly on 25 November. With Ria Percival taking over the defensive holding role long dominated by the now retired duo of Katie Duncan and Kirsty Yallop, the visitors were swift to take charge of possession, and contrived their first opening of note in the twentieth minute, the offside flag coming to Thailand's rescue as Annalie Longo set up Amber Hearn for what would have been the game's opening goal. The locals breathed a sigh of relief after that scare, but were soon having to deal with another one, Olivia Chance's 26th minute corner inviting Hannah Wilkinson to let fly on the volley. This shot was blocked, while a Percival piledriver, five minutes later, flashed narrowly past the top corner after she latched onto a cleared Ali Riley cross. The second half brought the first of four substitutions to the starting line-up, with Steph Skilton making her first appearance for her country in three years as she entered the fray at Wilkinson's expense. Among those to enter the fray later in the match were debutants Hannah Blake and Elise Mamanu-Gray, while Katie Rood made her second appearance for her country as interim co-coaches Andreas Heraf and Gareth Turnbull looked to clinch victory. Before her arrival, however, a Chance free-kick in the 49th minute was flicked on by Hearn for Longo, whose flick was greedily grabbed by Thai goalkeeper Waraporn Boonsing. She also kept out another Hearn header soon afterwards, again from a Chance free-kick, then looked on with relief as New Zealand's most prolific markswoman let fly from thirty yards, the ball careering past the post just after the hour mark. The hosts began to come into the game as it headed towards the last twenty minutes, but their efforts gave Erin Nayler no cause for concern, unlike Skilton at the other end of the park in stoppage time. Released by Longo, the striker drilled in a fierce angled drive which Boonsing failed to hold onto, only for the ball to rebound off the leg of a defender straight back to the prone goalkeeper. The final whistle sounded soon afterwards, leaving the teams to regroup ahead of the second match of the tour, which takes place from 11pm on Tuesday, NZ time, at Bangkok's SCG Stadium. Football Ferns:     Nayler; Bott, Moore, Stott, Riley; Bowen (Mamanu-Gray, 90), Percival, Chance (Blake, 66), Longo; Wilkinson (Skilton, 46), Hearn (Rood, 77)

New Zealand's Football Ferns wrapped up a challenging year in fine fashion at Bangkok's SCG Stadium on November 28, thrashing Thailand 5-0 to record their biggest win over non-Oceania opposition since August 1993. It was also the 200th international New Zealand had played on foreign soil since their very first game in August 1975 at the Asian Cup in Hong Kong, a tournament which the Kiwis won, beating Thailand 3-1 in the final. Fast-forward 42 years to the fourth meeting at senior level against the Thais, three days after the teams had played out a scoreless draw in Bangkok, a match which left the Football Ferns eager to put right a wrong … They set about their task with urgency, but initially found the Thais to be just as resilient as in the first game of this two-match series. Waraporn Boonsing greedily grabbed an Annalie Longo free-kick in the seventh minute, while three minutes later the bounce of the ball denied Amber Hearn the chance to celebrate her birthday with a goal, after she had been picked out by Ali Riley's cross from the left. The birthday girl wasn't to be denied, however, and in the 24th minute, opened the scoring. Catherine Bott worked a series of one-twos down the right with Katie Bowen and Annalie Longo before picking out Hearn with a cross to the near post. The most prolific markswoman in New Zealand's history deftly flicked home the 294th goal of her career from six yards, in doing so making Thailand the 26th country she has scored against while on Football Ferns' duty - a truly remarkable statistic. Three minutes later, another Longo free-kick gave Boonsing cause aplenty for concern as it arced in from the left flank, hotly pursued by Hearn, amongst others, as it headed towards the near post. The goalkeeper did well to punch clear in the circumstances. Sloppy play by Meikayla Moore on half-way saw possession squandered on the half-hour, with Thailand's counter-attack ultimately thwarted by Bott, whose timely clearance spared her team-mate's blushes. That was as close as the host nation was to get in the remainder of the match, as the Football Ferns doubled their lead in the 33rd minute. Another Longo free-kick wasn't gathered cleanly by Boonsing, much to Bowen's delight, the midfielder instantly flicking home just her second goal for her country at senior level. Long-range efforts from Bowen, twice, and Ria Percival stung Boonsing's gloves before the interval, while after it the Football Ferns kept their pedal to the metal and were rewarded in the 52nd minute when Bowen was hauled down in the penalty area as she looked to meet a Longo corner. Percival did the honours from the penalty spot, the only goal the Football Ferns mustered in a relentless spell of pressure during the first twenty minutes of the second spell, a period which left those watching anticipating more goals would eventually come. Sure enough, the visitors' patience was rewarded in the 67th minute, a delightful move featuring half-time substitute Betsy Hassett and the overlapping captain, Riley, saw the latter's measured cross chested down by Hearn to Longo, who emphatically lashed home goal number four, which was easily the pick of the bunch. Within three minutes, Longo was denied twice more, while after Boomsing dealt with Bowen's twenty yarder, the Football Ferns went nap with fifteen minutes to go, Percival again foxing the 'keeper from the penalty spot after Hearn had been "clothes-lined" when attempting to head home a cross from Bott. Having made their emphatic statement,  the Football Ferns turned to their bench to spread the 'feel good' factor still further in the final fifteen minutes, during which time debut appearances were made by Malia Steinmetz, goalkeeper Victoria Esson, Liz Anton and Maggie Jenkins, who entered the fray to mark the departure of Hearn, who'd marked her birthday with a goal and been instrumental in two more. The win concludes the Football Ferns' year, with the Cyprus Women's Cup the source of half the eight games they played in 2017. Tony Readings' departure after the USA series left NZ Football's Technical Director, Andreas Heraf, and Football Ferns' Development Programme coach, Gareth Turnbull, to take the reins for this tour. By the time the squad convenes again, most likely for the Cyprus Cup in March, a new mentor will very likely have been appointed. One hopes they'll help the Football Ferns reach the heights which their potential suggests can be reached. Football Ferns:     Leat (Esson, 80); Bott (Steinmetz, 76), Moore, Stott (Anton,, 85), Green (booked, 23) (Wilkinson, 62); Chance (Hassett, 46), Percival, Bowen, Riley (booked, 54); Longo, Hearn (Jenkins, 85)