Australia 3

The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website | home

Australia 3

Jubilant Junior Ferns Score Rare Home Win Over Arch-Rivals

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand's Junior Football Ferns scored a rare, character-laden, come-from-behind 2-1 victory over the Young Matildas at Kiwitea Street on June 12 to give their preparations for August's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in Costa Rica a significant boost.

It was the first time the Kiwis had conquered the West Islanders on home turf at any level since the Junior Ferns prevailed by the same scoreline in a behind-closed-doors affair at Seddon Fields in August 2013.

Prior to that, the Young Ferns rolled the Junior Matildas 3-1 in an U-17 duel on the North Harbour Stadium Tigerturf in October 2011, while the last NZ male team to score a win on home turf against the old enemy was the All Whites, Ryan Nelsen's goal clinching victory in the OFC Nations Cup Final at Mt. Smart Stadium in July 2002.

It's also the first time the Junior Ferns have recorded a victory against non-Oceania opposition since Tayla Christensen's goal saw off Ghana at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in Papua New Guinea. So this result is one which should be savoured by all NZ football fans - this is rare air.

It certainly didn't look like it would come about based on what happened in the early stages of this contest, however, with the Junior Ferns finding themselves trailing after just 68 seconds as they endured a horror start.

There's little doubt that a few Kiwi heads were still in the dressing room when Hana Lowry and overlapping fullback Jamilla Rankin made in-roads down the left as the Young Matildas made their usual fast start to the contest.

The beneficiary of their progress was captain Sheridan Gallagher, who wasted little time in unleashing a shot which Brianna Edwards parried solidly. No one in black reacted with anything like the necessary haste in response to this denial, unlike Daniela Galic.

She nipped in and slammed the loose ball into the roof of the net to give the Young Matildas the perfect start on the occasion of the first visit to New Zealand by any Australian representative football team for a trans-Tasman tussle since the Young Socceroos edged the Youth All Whites 3-2 at QBE Stadium in May 2015, just prior to the FIFA U-20 World Cup Finals which took place on these shores.

The Junior Ferns were still reeling from Galic's hammer blow when Lowry unleashed a fifth minute corner which ricocheted off the crossbar. Two minutes later, Sarah Hunter's twenty-five yard free-kick had "top near corner" written all over it until Edwards produced a super save to turn the ball over the bar.

The natives survived the resulting corner, but the Young Matildas continued to press. Hunter sent debutant Abbey Lemon dashing down the right in the twelfth minute, and she did Marisa Van der Meer a treat before drilling a low shot narrowly past the far post.

It was only after this that the Junior Ferns started to come to terms with the task facing them, and started to give their trans-Tasman rivals something to think about. Hunter, for instance, discovered the hard way that if your touch is poor when Kate Taylor is lurking with intent, the Junior Ferns captain won't hesitate to exploit the situation.

While her shot from distance in this fourteenth minute incident was the sort one expects of a player whose first job is to defend, Taylor's effort inspired her team-mates - a sense of belief began to seep into their play, slowly at first, but unquestionably surely.

They still endured nervous moments, however, such as in the 21st minute, when Lemon again bested Van der Meer, only for her cross to be thwarted by Taylor's timely intervention at the near post.

Two minutes later, Lemon was at it again, this time targeting Katie Godden with her cross, one which Edwards anticipated well, and cut out accordingly, much to the frustration of the striker, who left the goalkeeper feeling the effects of her presence in the penalty area long after the danger had passed.

Still Australia pressed, Charlize Rule and Hunter working a delightful one-two on half-way which invited the defender to bring Galic into play once more. The goalscorer held the ball up well before laying the ball off into the stride of Gallagher, who was denied by a crunching Jana Niedermayr tackle which rightly earned a roar of approval from the good-sized crowd.

The Junior Ferns fed off this burst of energy, and suddenly it was the Young Matildas who found themselves on the back foot as Aniela Jensen grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck in midfield and started dictating terms.

Milly Clegg was the first beneficiary of her team-mate's inspiration, leading the Australian rearguard a merry dance without reward in the 27th minute. Seconds later, Jensen herself rampaged down the right, evading three challenges en route before feeding Alyssa Whinham.

The playmaker instantly switched play to the left flank, up and down which Tui Dugan had made numerous runs to this point in time, often without reward, and mostly in pursuit of gold-shirted opponents.

The hunter was now the hunted, however, but the Young Matildas couldn't get near the dynamic midfielder as Dugan darted into the penalty area and let fly, only to be denied by goalkeeper Sally James' fine save at her near post.

The resulting corner came to nought - coach Gemma Lewis has doubtless underlined attacking set-pieces among the many things which her young charges have to work on as a result of this performance. 27% of goals in the last two FIFA Women's World Cup Finals have come from set plays - it's an element of the game which New Zealand needs to improve upon, at all levels.

The Junior Ferns now had momentum in their favour, however, and in the 37th minute, they carved out another opening. Van der Meer, Whinham and Dugan combined on the left, the last-mentioned picking out Clegg with a cross which the striker turned into the stride of Whinham, who had continued her run in support of the attack.

Into the penalty area she powered, deftly dancing in and out of challenges before unleashing a shot which was deflected into the side-netting. There are times when Whinham does this so well, and times when she unexpectedly errs on the side of caution - a second half incident springs to mind - instead of firing a shot which could result in a corner, a deflection, another opportunity … believe in yourself more, kid!

Yours is a special talent, Alyssa. Embrace it, unleash it, be inspired by it. Explore your full potential - don't feel or be inhibited by it. Be the player you can be, the player everyone in NZ women's football knows you can be and is eager to see you become. Believe in yourself unreservedly. Be the full version of you.

Ava Collins is another player bristling with similar potential. Her right flank toils were another reason for optimism in this contest, as was Clegg's tireless work as the first line of defence, which forced an Australian error in the 41st minute.

The striker's pressure forced James into a rushed pass to Rankin, and resulted in the fullback gifting the ball to Collins. She slipped same inside to Grace Wisnewski, whose shot was grabbed greedily by the recovering goalkeeper.

James instantly sparked a counter-attack, but the Young Matildas' bid to double their advantage in the shadows of referee Beth Rattray's half-time whistle foundered on Taylor. Producing a more than

passable imitation of "as cool as you like, Virgil Van Dijk", she strode out of defence with supreme confidence past three would-be challengers to spark a counter-attack which had the Australians in all sorts of bother.

Suddenly, it was two on one, with Whinham's supporting run giving Taylor an obvious outlet to unleash as the pair approached the halfway line. The right pass would have sent the midfielder haring through the inside right channel, leaving her with just James to beat.

But Taylor's pass was not Van Dijk-like, and by the time Whinham had latched onto it, the sound which accompanied her progress was the pounding of retreating feet, as yellow-clad opponents beat a hasty retreat to get back in sufficient numbers and shut down what had the potential to have been a stirring finish to the first forty-five minutes.

Instead, it ended with a sense of concern, the sight of Wisnewski receiving treatment for a head injury from which she wasn't to return a sobering one, particularly when one considers the mental health challenges she has endured to date, and continues to seek to subdue and conquer with every passing day - a battle she is winning, with everyone's full support.

With the Junior Ferns in the ascendancy as half-time came to pass, it should come as little surprise to learn that Young Matildas coach Leah Blayney uttered a few words during the break which had her team champing at the bit upon the resumption of play.

Within three minutes, Gallagher had stung the gloves of Edwards with a twenty-five yarder, while Galic spurned a glorious opening in the 51st minute, opting to pass when shooting seemed the more realistic alternative after Zoe McMeeken had given possession away cheaply near the halfway line.

That aspect of the game - retaining quality possession in their defensive third - was to prove quite a challenge for the Junior Ferns throughout the second half, and saw them face more pressure than should have been the case as the Young Matildas looked to regain the lead.

For in the 52nd minute, the Junior Ferns drew level with a cracking team goal. McMeeken worked a one-two with half-time substitute Ava Pritchard, which allowed the fullback the chance to exploit a role to which her natural attacking instincts are better suited as she stormed through the inside right channel with Australians conspicuous by their absence.

Clegg started making a diagonal run which would have encroached into McMeeken's space, but swiftly thought better of it. By the time she'd changed direction, so had the point of attack, McMeeken switching play to Dugan on the far side of the penalty area.

She slipped a pass inside to Whinham, whose pass was turned on by Clegg into the stride of Dugan - a brilliant off-the-ball run. She powered past the covering defender in the penalty area before rifling the ball over the diving figure of James and into the net by the near post - 1-1, a goal which was relished by the 1200-strong crowd as cheers rang around Kiwitea Street.

Five minutes later, it was very nearly 2-1 to the home team. McMeeken led another right flank raid before bringing half-time substitute Emma Pijnenburg into play. Whinham and Dugan were swiftly involved in proceedings, the latter whipping in a cross which Pritchard, flying in off the right towards the far post, just failed to meet.

Blayney had seen enough, and rang the changes - five inside the next ten minutes. With fresh legs came fresh momentum for the Young Matildas, aided in part by their opponents indulging in a spell in which passes were wayward more often than not, and invariably invited trouble, especially in the defensive third. Nervous times abounded for those of a black-clad persuasion, and were reflected in the crowd's growing angst.

The Young Matildas threatened to take the lead in the 71st minute, substitutes Alana Murphy and Bryleeh Henry combining on the left to present Holly Furphy with a chance which the newcomer lashed narrowly past the near post.

Six minutes later, Niedermayr gave the ball away on the edge of her penalty area. Rankin - a tireless toiler in yellow - was the beneficiary of this blunder, and delivered a cross to the far post which Henry headed beyond Edwards. Beyond Edwards stood Taylor, who was perfectly placed to assuredly clear off the line and ignite what proved to be the game's decisive moment, one which she herself would crown.

As a sense of relief swept around the ground at this close call, the Junior Ferns worked their way forward, Pijnenburg and Jensen central to it all. And, of course, Whinham, who brought into play the recently introduced Charlotte Lancaster. "Bomber" took over where Dugan left off, taking on defenders while flying down the flank, two on this occasion.

The first, Rule, was well beaten. The second, Naomi Chinnama, sent Lancaster sprawling inside the penalty area, and referee Rattray was pointing to the penalty spot quicker than you can say "We're on the march with Gemma's army!"

Said platoon's on-field leader stepped forward and placed the ball on the spot. It was Taylor versus James, who was indulging in all manner of callisthenics in an effort to put her opponent off prior to the referee's whistle in the 79th minute.

When it sounded again seconds later, James had dived to her right, while Taylor had despatched her penalty into the opposite top corner of the net with quite some power, and with quite a roar of approval from all of a native bent, who cared not that this goal came against the run of play.

There were a few Australians among the gathered throngs, and 'twas they who were now nervous, the threat of defeat at the hands of the old enemy from the right side of the Tasman now a very real possibility.

For the Junior Ferns were 2-1 up, and with "game management" being urged by the gaffer, they looked to fulfil that plea, albeit with a few scares along the way. How no-one got a touch on Paige Zois' 83rd minute corner as it zoomed through a crowded goalmouth Lord alone knows, while another corner from the same player in stoppage time culminated in a shot through a forest of legs which Edwards saw and smothered, the need to rise quickly no longer her prime concern.

Soon afterwards, she and her team-mates were jubilant in victory, a rare experience on home soil for any NZ football side, and one from which the Junior Ferns will take much heart, both in Wednesday's behind-closed-doors return fixture between these teams, and, more importantly, in Costa Rica in August.

There, Mexico, Germany and Colombia will present challenges every bit as strong as that offered by the Young Matildas on this occasion. This is a defeat they won't take lying down, of course, but it's one which can't be denied - a rare loss at the hands of their arch-rivals from across the Tasman, one which Kiwi football fans everywhere will savour and enjoy, and which will give the All Whites further inspiration ahead of their quest for Qatar 2022 on Wednesday morning.

Junior Ferns: Edwards; McMeeken, Niedermayr, Taylor, Van der Meer; Wisnewski (Pijnenburg, 46), Jensen, Dugan (Lancaster, 69); Collins (Pritchard, 46), Whinham, Clegg (Nathan, 82)

Australia: James; Rule (Apostolakis, 85), Chinnama, Tonkin, Rankin; Hunter, Galic (Murphy, 66), Lowry (Zois, 58); Lemon (Dos Santos, 66), Godden (Furphy, 58), Gallagher (Henry, 58)

Referee: Beth Rattray

Project Costa Rica 2022