Waikato-Bay of Plenty booked a Lion Foundation National Women’s League semi-final encounter with Capital Football next weekend after thrashing the NZ U-17 women’s squad, the Young Ferns, 8-0 at Links Avenue on 5 December. Needing to win by at least six goals to claim a semi-final berth, Wai-BOP got off to a brilliant start, Kerri Gerrits chipping Young Ferns’ goalkeeper Bernadette Anderson from 25 yards after just 36 seconds. The Young Ferns were stunned, and their confidence wasn’t aided by an Anderson blunder in the fourteenth minute. Rachel Head played the ball back to the ‘keeper, who stumbled under pressure from Gerrits. Rebecca Wall was unable to capitalise on this opening, while Sarah McLaughlin, following up, thrashed a twenty-yarder narrowly past the far post. Holly Patterson, in particular, was looking lively for the Young Ferns down the right as they sought a way back into the game, but after Wai-BOP captain Nicole Stratford had hit the side-netting with a twenty-five yard free-kick in the sixteenth minute, two goals in the next three minutes killed off the game as a contest. Anderson’s goal-kick found its way to McLaughlin, who headed the ball forward to Gerrits. She worked a one-two with Jackie Pretswell, who strode into the penalty area and lashed a low shot to the right of the diving Anderson. The ball struck the heel of the ‘keeper’s right hand and spun over her prone figure into the net behind. 2-0 quickly became 3-0, but only after the Young Ferns had gone close to making it 2-1 straight from the kick-off, Amanda Wilshier racing off her line to save at the feet of Grace Parkinson, after Patterson’s probing pass released the speedster. The ‘keeper’s clearance culminated in a free-kick half-way inside the Young Ferns’ half, which McLaughlin hoisted into the goalmouth. It wasn’t dealt with at all well by the defending team, and Wall pounced, her mistimed shot bouncing into the net past the bemused figure of Anderson. Worse was to follow for the ‘keeper, who was beaten all ends up by a McLaughlin thunderbolt in the 25th minute, the ball sailing into the opposite corner from that which the ‘keeper was covering - it was that sort of game for the custodian, one she will want to forget in a serious hurry. Down and out on the scoreboard they may have been, but some of the Young Ferns starlets were showing some welcome fighting spirit, particularly Patterson, Parkinson, Katie Bowen, Head and Rebecca Burrows, who whipped in two free-kicks before the half-hour mark which gave Wai-BOP cause for concern aplenty. Both deliveries picked out Parkinson, with the first seeing the striker lob the advancing figure of Wilshier, only for Rochelle Williams to race back and thwart Tiffany Paterson at point blank range with the goal at her mercy. Next time round, Parkinson soared skywards to head the ball over Wilshier, only to look on in despair as her header bounced past the far post - it was that sort of day for the Young Ferns. Twelve minutes before half-time, Patterson’s fine work saw her evade a couple of challenges before linking with Paterson to put Parkinson through the middle. Williams stepped in again - she was rock-solid throughout proceedings. As was McLaughlin, of whom such performances are commonplace. Three minutes later, she whipped in a beautifully flighted free-kick to the far post which saw Gerrits direct a header straight at Anderson. The ball cannoned off the ‘keeper, allowing the Young Ferns to scramble clear and resume their forward forays, the highlights of which, before the interval, saw the offside flag deny Parkinson a goal, and Wilshier save from the same player after a Bowen surge and measured Patterson cross had carved open Wai-BOP’s left flank. A lot can happen in 133 seconds. In the case of this football match, Gerrits needed that time from the start of the second half to complete her hat-trick - she scored twice in 45 seconds to send the spirits of the disheartened Young Ferns plummeting further. Her first goal saw the scorer work a series of one-twos with Pretswell as the pair cut a swathe down the middle of the park from half-way, Gerrits finally letting fly unerringly into the bottom corner of the net from twenty yards ninety seconds after the kick-off. Straight from the resumption following this goal, Wai-BOP assumed possession through McLaughlin, who sprayed the ball wide to Brogan Mathieson. Her clipped cross to the near post was expertly guided across Anderson by Gerrits - 6-0. Patterson was not prepared to take a stuffing of this magnitude on the chin. Her efforts to make a difference, even in the face of unbackable odds, were an example to all present, and were doubtless a factor

Kerri Gerrits (WBOP) watched by Michelle Windsor (U17s) Nicole Stratford (WBOP) takes on Hannah Carlsen (U17s) Holly Patterson (U17s) shields from Trudi Greig (WBOP) Jackie Pretswell (WBOP) takes on Rebecca Burrows (U17s) Alex Shadbolt (WBOP) and Evie Millyn (U17s) in aerial combat, watched by Naomi Courtney-Tennant (9, WBOP)

in her winning the Sport Waikato Junior Sportsperson prize in their Secondary Schools awards earlier this week. Three times in as many minutes, she drove her team-mates on in search of a goal, getting clear on the right to pick out Bowen with a 51st minute cross which the midfielder headed down for substitute Evie Millyn. Williams and Wilshier combined to thwart the striker. Seconds later, Alex Shadbolt stepped in to deny Patterson the goal her efforts deserved, while the will-o’-the-wisp winger was pivotal in a splendid 53rd minute move ignited by Bowen and continued on by Parkinson. Patterson’s cross to the near post saw substitute Kate Loye flying in to get in a header which flashed inches past the upright - the move deserved better fate. On the hour, Parkinson neatly controlled a cross-field ball from Burrows, but Shadbolt’s close marking prevented her Claudelands Rovers club-mate getting in a shot on the turn. The opportunity finally fell to Millyn, whose rasping drive was turned round the post by Wilshier. Back came Wai-BOP, McLaughlin leading the charge in the 62nd minute. She sent Pretswell dashing through the inside-right channel, with the shot of the two-time Northern Premier Women’s League’s leading goalscorer careering past Anderson but past the far post as well. Seconds later, Anderson produced her first save of the day to deny Pretswell, but was given no chance by Gerrits in the 66th minute as she rattled home her fourth goal of the afternoon, Wai-BOP’s seventh, from the edge of the penalty area, after setting off on a run from half-way and working the opening with Wall, whose return pass was a virtual invitation to score. The Young Ferns had twice gone close in the seconds immediately prior to this goal, with Parkinson and Patterson both prominent in moves which also featured Hannah Carlsen and Bowen. But it was the latter’s opposite number, McLaughlin, who was giving the visitors cause aplenty for concern, her 68th minute through ball exposing Anderson’s dwindling confidence. The ‘keeper started to come out, then hesitated before back-pedalling furiously as she realised she would never get to the ball before Wall, who shot early but wide. Within seconds, McLaughlin hoisted in a gem of a free-kick from half-way. Anderson let it bounce in the goalmouth, allowing Gerrits to leap skywards and head the ball goal wards. The sphere crashed against the post, with Wall’s attempt to turn home the rebound being hooked clear in spectacular fashion by Loye. Wai-BOP continued to press, Gerrits powering through challenges in the 71st minute before Michelle Windsor stepped in to deny her, only for Pretswell to pick up the pieces and attempt to put them away. Anderson blocked this shot, then saved a McLaughlin twenty-five yarder at the second attempt, but when the Supreme Award winner at Sport Waikato’s Secondary School Sports awards let fly from the same distance ten minutes from time, the ‘keeper didn’t stand a chance - it was a goal from the second the ball left "Macca"’s trusty right boot! 8-0, and still the Young Ferns attacked. Prior to the final goal, Brittany Dudley-Smith and Bowen both fired wide of the target, as did Pretswell at the other end of the park, while after the game’s eighth goal, Millyn fired over after Loye and Patterson had teamed up eight minutes from time. Anderson’s day was summed up perfectly when referee Gordon Campbell booked her for handling the ball outside the penalty area four minutes before the final whistle, while in stoppage time, the game’s hardest-working player was denied the goal her efforts deserved, Wilshier foiling Patterson with a fine diving save after Loye and Carlsen - a fine pass - had combined to reward their team-mate’s hard running. Waikato-Bay of Plenty’s emphatic win saw them turn the tables - literally - on the Young Ferns, the eight-goal swing allowing the victors to leapfrog the vanquished on the standings and book a trip to Wellington next weekend. The Young Ferns, meanwhile, will take on Football South next weekend at a yet to be determined venue, before taking on the NZ Secondary Schoolgirls in a three-match series at North Harbour Stadium on December 14, 16 and 18. Wai-BOP:     Wilshier; Stratford, Williams, Shadbolt, Greig; Mathieson (Whitford, 67), O’Connell (Courtney-Tennant, 78), McLaughlin, Wall; Pretswell, Gerrits (Wood, 81) Young Ferns:     Anderson; Burrows, Head, Windsor, Lee; Patterson, Bowen, Carlsen, Innes (Loye, 47); Paterson (Millyn, 47), Parkinson (Dudley-Smith, 67) Referee:     Gordon Campbell