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American Samoa
Rampant Junior Ferns Hit Eight In Opening Qualifier
by Jeremy Ruane
 Lauren Mathis, Terri-Amber Carlson, Hannah Wilkinson, Rosie White, Annalie Longo, Hannah Wall,
Elise Mamanu Gray, Bridgette Armstrong, Briony Fisher, Victoria Esson, Anna Green (c)
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New Zealand’s Junior Ferns cruised to a solid 8-0 victory over American Samoa in their opening match at the Oceania Football Confederation’s U-20 Women’s Championships on January 21, to take a strong grip on proceedings in the tournament on the North Harbour Stadium Tigerturf.
With the Cook Islands and Tonga drawing 1-1 in the other fixture on Matchday One, Tony Readings’ side are well on course to qualify for July’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals in Germany. But the Junior Ferns want to do so in style.
Three players made their New Zealand debuts in this match, and one, Hannah Wilkinson, helped herself to a hard-earned hat-trick, including the game’s opening goals. But before she broke the deadlock, the Junior Ferns had gone close on a number of occasions.
Hannah Wall, from her new role as an overlapping fullback, rattled the post in the fourth minute, while Rosie White had a goal ruled out two minutes later due to Wilkinson crossing from beyond the by-line.
Annalie Longo sent one flashing across the face of goal in the eleventh minute before White shot straight at American Samoan goalkeeper Sancia Sopoaga, who, unlike her opposite number, Victoria Esson, was decidedly busy throughout the match.
She was called upon again in the fourteenth minute to thwart Wilkinson, after Wall and White had worked wonders down the right. Meleane Ioapo then forced her team-mate to keep the ball out, after White had worked her way past three opponents before crossing just beyond debutant Terri-Amber Carlson into the path of the tracking midfielder.
Wilkinson wasn’t to be denied seconds later, breaking the deadlock with an accomplished finish, evading two challenges on receipt of a pass from Carlson before thrashing the ball beyond Sopoaga.
Having taken the lead, the Junior Ferns wasted little time in pressing home their early advantage, and after Longo had rattled the hoardings following a short corner routine between Wall and captain Anna Green, the latter rampaged down the left in the 21st minute before clipping in a cross to the near post.
Sopoaga and Ioapo went for it, but in between them rose Wilkinson, fearlessly heading home to double the Junior Ferns’ lead in some style.
Four minutes later, it was 3-0, and a lovely goal it was, too. Wall ignited it, breaking out of defence before linking with Elise Mamanu Gray, who instantly sent fellow debutant Carlson careering down the right. She delivered a beautifully weighted cross to the far post, where White rose unchallenged to head home.
Wall went close with an effort following a corner before Sopoaga thwarted Wilkinson on the edge of her penalty area, then, back-pedalling feverishly, grabbed Longo’s attempt to chip her clearance into an empty net seconds later.
The American Samoans lost their captain, Angela Sa’o, in the build-up to this move, the midfielder in considerable pain with an ankle injury as she was put on a stretcher and carried from the ground after landing awkwardly.
The Junior Ferns pressed on, with Gray spurning a great chance following Wilkinson’s work down the left in the 37th minute, before White’s off-the-ball running two minutes later was rewarded by Wilkinson’s precise pass.
The opening goalscorer stormed forward in anticipation of a cross from her team-mate. White still had plenty to do, however, but three opponents later, duly delivered a ball which screamed across the bows of the incoming Wilkinson - she was inches away from a first half hat-trick.
After Sopoaga had saved at the feet of Wilkinson following a slick move featuring Carlson and Gray, the Junior Ferns contrived the goal of the game four minutes before half-time. A one-two between Longo and Gray saw the former skip past a challenge and surge into the penalty area before calmly tucking the ball beyond Sopoaga - quality
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football.
4-0 became 5-0 two minutes into injury time at the end of the first half. Green’s corner to the far post wasn’t cleared, and Briony Fisher fair battered the ball home to put an emphatic exclamation mark on first half proceedings, which concluded soon after Gray had smacked a shot against the far post following another overlapping run and cross by Wall.
The Junior Ferns continued their solid form into the second spell, and were rewarded with a sixth goal in the 52nd minute. A poor clearance was pounced on by Wilkinson, who instantly sent the ball through to White. She combined deft footwork with a delicious finish for her second goal of the game.
Longo, Green and, on two occasions, Wilkinson went close to extending the Junior Ferns’ lead in the next six minutes, while the American Samoans survived an almighty scramble in the 63rd minute as the rampant New Zealanders laid siege to their opponents’ goal via Wilkinson, whose shot was parried by Sopoaga.
White, following in like any good striker should, had to hurdle the ‘keeper, who was again forced to parry the ball, this time straight to Lauren Mathis, who rattled the angle of post and crossbar from ten yards with the goal at her mercy.
Somehow the battling Pacific Island team survived, but only for a matter of seconds. In scrambling clear, they conceded a corner, which Wall and Green again worked short. This time, the captain curled an inviting cross to the far post which Fisher, much to her delight, met with a powerful header - 7-0.
The Junior Ferns made a few changes at this point, with Sarah McLaughlin swift to make an impact off the bench. She worked a 71st minute opening with Gray which culminated in White thundering a drive narrowly past the far post, before "Macca" and "Bambi" worked their magic four minutes later, only for the post to deny White’s fiercely struck twenty-yarder.
New Zealand then produced a delightful move twelve minutes from time. Bridgette Armstrong, whose occasional concentration lapses were one of very few disappointing aspects of her team’s display, instigated this attack, which featured substitutes Claudia Crasborn and McLaughlin, and a surging run down the left by Green, who evaded a challenge before setting up White.
A hat-trick just wasn’t meant to be for the reigning OFC Women’s Player of the Year in this match - she shot straight at Sopoaga, who looked on soon after as a rasping twenty-five yarder from McLaughlin curled narrowly past the post, and collided with the same upright late on as another long-range thunderbolt from the Hamiltonian screamed inches wide.
An eighth goal had to come, and duly did in the 81st minute. Green’s cross-field ball picked out Wilkinson, who picked out a beauty - a sumptuous volley with which Sopoaga stood not a prayer.
And still they weren’t satisfied - rightly not! Wall’s overlapping run and cross from the right would have been turned home by White had the overworked Sopoaga not saved at her feet, while Crasborn somehow contrived to turn the ball past the far post four minutes from time, upon receipt of a fine cross from Wilkinson.
The Junior Ferns were denied a penalty in stoppage time when White was felled in the area, but eight proved enough for a team in rampant form, form which they will look to continue into their next match, against the Cook Islands from 4pm on Saturday, as their quest to qualify for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Finals in Germany continues.
New Zealand: Esson; Wall, Fisher, Armstrong, Green; Mamanu-Gray, Longo (Pearl, 78), Carlson (McLaughlin, 64), Mathis (Crasborn, 64); Wilkinson, White
Am. Samoa: Sopoaga; Tulafono, F. Ioapo, Siatu’u, Oney; Vagaia, Sa’o (Ripley, 35), M. Ioapo, Letoi, Mavaega; Emboy (Luani, 59)
Referee: Tupou Patia (Cook Islands)
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