The Football Ferns made an uncompromising start to their quest to retain the OFC Women’s Nations Cup on 29 September, vanquishing Vanuatu 14-0 on North Harbour Stadium’s Oval arena in the first match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament. Hosting the event for just the third time in its history, and the first time since 1998, Oceania’s reigning champions tore into their task with a vengeance, at the same time relishing the opportunity to put on a performance for their fans, who have had the chance to see the Football Ferns play just 26 internationals on home soil in the national team’s 35 year history prior to this tournament. Within fifteen seconds of kicking off, Rosie White signalled New Zealand’s intentions with a cross-shot which fizzed inches over the far post. Soon after, debutant Sarah Gregorius stung the gloves of Vanuatu goalkeeper Haia Taiwia with a twenty-yarder. It was the first save in what was to be a decidedly busy afternoon for Taiwia, whose next denials frustrated Amber Hearn. Ria Percival’s eighth minute cross picked out Hayley Moorwood, who jinked past two opponents before slipping Hearn through the defence. Taiwia raced out to block Hearn’s effort at close quarters, and plucked her header from under the crossbar after the resulting corner, delivered by Percival, had picked out the number nine. Hearn didn’t have long to wait to open her account, however. A tenth minute corner from Percival saw the striker meet it with a bullet-like header which ripped into the net from twelve yards. Seconds later, Hearn was in again. Percival - great to see her back in full flight after her last appearance in home soil had resulted in a recurrence of the knee injury which knocked her career side-ways in 2009 - was again the architect, playing a nicely weighted pass through which Hannah Wilkinson relished. Down the right she raced before scything into the penalty area, where she lured Taiwia out of goal before unselfishly squaring the ball into Hearn’s stride - 2-0 with a tap-in. Ali Riley hardly had a chance to celebrate winning the WPS title with FC Gold Pride before she was winging her way to New Zealand for her country’s Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign, but she made the most of her 45-minute display in this match, igniting it in the thirteenth minute with a left flank foray which culminated in her linking with Gregorius. She touched the ball into Hearn’s stride, and from twenty yards she unleashed a twenty-yarder which Taiwia took the pace off, then recovered to paw the ball out from under the crossbar. Hearn had but five minutes to wait for her hat-trick strike, an unerring volley which arrowed home through a crowded goalmouth after Wilkinson and White had combined on the right, Vanuatu’s defence failing to clear the latter’s cross. The scorer turned provider for Riley in the twentieth minute, but the fleet-footed fullback was denied her maiden goal for the Football Ferns by the crossbar. Taiwia then denied Gregorius in a one-on-one situation, after Wilkinson had won the ball well, and Katie Hoyle and Moorwood had combined to slip the new international through. Vanuatu’s offside trap was something which the Football Ferns were having difficulty mastering. Cue Moorwood, whose well-timed runs to breach it had gone without reward until White finally rewarded her captain’s smart off-the-ball movement with a pass which prompted Taiwia to race out of goal. She blocked Moorwood’s initial effort, but fortune favoured the brave on this occasion, and New Zealand’s skipper was soon celebrating her first goal on international duty since March 2008. Hearn was harshly denied a fine headed goal by the offside flag in the 27th minute, but after Taiwia had saved at Gregorius’ feet, Hearn scored her fourth

goal of the game, New Zealand’s fifth, in stunning fashion - a towering header from distance which soared into the top far corner of the net and did suitable justice to another pinpoint set-piece delivery from Percival. Being 5-0 up inside half-an-hour was no reason for the Football Ferns to ease off - anything but. They had clearly set out in this match to make a statement, set themselves a benchmark for the rest of the tournament, and show the local fans more than a few glimpses of their collective on-field prowess. They continued to do so without too much reward during the next ten minutes - a volley over the bar from Wilkinson was the closest they came to adding to their tally during this time - but come the 41st minute, White wriggled through the Vanuatu rearguard before presenting Wilkinson with her maiden international goal on a plate. After White had been denied by Taiwia - those in front of her clad in yellow and black were often chasing shadows, such was the Football Ferns’ pace, passing and movement throughout proceedings - Moorwood set off on a jinking run through three challenges in first half stoppage time before setting up Wilkinson for what should have been a simple finish. She made a meal of it, however, instead looking to return the compliment White had afforded her four minutes earlier. Leisale Solomon stepped in, only to pick out Moorwood with her clearance, the midfielder responding with interest. Her rasping drive looked a goal for all money until Taiwia produced the save of the match to tip the ball round the post for a corner. But her efforts merely staved off the inevitable - from Percival’s resulting delivery, Abby Erceg stabbed the ball home on the far post to wrap up the first half scoring. Anna Green replaced the jet-lagged Riley for the second spell, and she was swiftly into the action, sending Wilkinson scurrying down the left at pace. She cut inside, but got no further - a fine tackle by Vanuatu substitute Marseline Bakokoto stopped the striker in the act of shooting. After Kristy Hill had directed a header narrowly past the far post on receipt of a Green corner, White - an industrious display - stole the ball off a Sereine Poida near half-way and slipped through a couple of challenges before setting up Wilkinson for another shot which saw her beat Taiwia, and the far post also, in the 49th minute. Erceg’s solid challenge on Vanuatu striker Elodie Samuel incurred the wrath of referee John Saohu three minutes later, and gave the island nation the chance to score the goal they longed for. Solomon’s free-kick struck the defensive wall, with the rebound falling to Stephanie Tougen, whose shot was blocked to safety. The Football Ferns didn’t take kindly to their rivals’ attempt to open the second half scoring, so promptly stepped up a gear and did so themselves. Hearn - a classic deep-lying striker’s display - was the architect, threading through a peach of a pass which saw Moorwood and White both through on goal with just Taiwia to beat. The striker took charge of the situation, and fair battered her maiden international goal at senior level high into the net - 8-0 after 54 minutes. After Taiwia had again saved at the feet of Gregorius, and a gorgeous move featuring Erceg, Hearn, Green, Hoyle and Gregorius culminated in White beating Taiwia but failing to find the target, the Football Ferns struck their ninth goal in the 59th minute. It was a cracker! Jenny Bindon hardly had a thing to do from a defensive perspective, but her accurate distribution sparked a move which saw Moorwood, Hoyle and White combine for Wilkinson’s benefit, and she gleefully smashed the ball into the top far corner of the net. Gregorius - her last act on debut - and White both blazed shots over the bar just after the hour mark, while Wilkinson was denied by some rather

fortuitous defending after White and Green had combined on the left. The Football Ferns made a couple of substitutions in the 65th minute, and both newcomers wasted little time in imposing themselves on the game. An uncompromising Maia Jackman challenge sparked a move which culminated in Hearn shooting straight at Taiwia in the 67th minute, seconds before the striker got on the end of a Green cross and smashed a shot at the target. Taiwia blocked it, but Liz Milne was following in, and swiftly became the third Football Fern to celebrate scoring her first goal for her country in the 68th minute - 10-0 the score. Jackman - after another quality corner from Green, Moorwood - following fine off-the-ball movement by White - and Hearn, with a stinging twenty-yarder, all went close to increasing that lead within the next four minutes, before Wilkinson showed them a way to goal which the unfortunate Taiwia scarcely deserved. Another enterprising move - there was plenty of quality football in the Football Ferns’ performance - was crowned by Wilkinson’s hat-trick strike, a venomous twenty-five yard bullet which tore between the legs of the goalkeeper and into the net behind her. The sight of Taiwia lying prone through sheer embarrassment was not an image which reflected her overall display - but for her efforts, New Zealand could well have eclipsed their record victory, a then world record-equalling 21-0 rout of Samoa in the 1998 OFC Women’s Nations Cup. After Moorwood had gone close with a free-kick, and White had fired over at the end of a rampaging run down the left after the entire defensive quintet had been involved in building play from the back, Taiwia redeemed herself by saving at the feet of Wilkinson ten minutes from time. But she was powerless to stop Moorwood clocking up New Zealand’s twelfth goal seconds later. Milne picked out Hearn on the right, and her well-weighted cross found Moorwood ghosting in towards the far post, where she executed with aplomb a difficult volleyed chance. Percival deserved a goal for all her right flank raids, one of which took place three minutes from time. White spotted it and played in the fullback, who was only denied by the legs of Taiwia, albeit with the compensation of a corner. Green’s set-piece deliveries had been a menace for Vanuatu to deal with, and this was another. Hill was the target, but she headed the ball against the upright. Wilkinson bundled home the rebound as it ricocheted across the goalmouth - 13-0 with two minutes still to play. There was time for one more, and fittingly, the player whose hat-trick had sparked off the goal blitz concluded it in stoppage time, Hearn thumping home her fifth goal of the game after Wilkinson had stormed down the left before pulling the ball back from the by-line. As opening statements go, 14-0 is of the rather emphatic variety. But there were aspects of the Football Ferns’ display which they know require some fine-tuning - offside trap issues, for one, composure in front of goal another. Credit, too, to Vanuatu, whose senior women’s international debut this was - talk about a baptism of fire! It’s one they could have marked by playing an eleven-woman defence in an effort to stifle the Football Ferns as much as possible, but at no stage did they look to do so. At least they know things can only improve from this starting point! Football Ferns:     Bindon; Percival, Hill, Erceg (Jackman, 65), Riley (Green, 46); Wilkinson, Moorwood, Hoyle, Gregorius (Milne, 65); Hearn, White Vanuatu:         Taiwia; Vatoko (Bakokoto, 34), Aru, Solomon (booked, 28), Alatoa; Tougen, Saina, Poida, Avock (Mansale, 61); Samuel, Thompson (Angelo, 48) Referee:    John Saohu (Solomon Islands)