New Zealand's Young Ferns overcame the Cook Islands 7-0 in their opening match of the OFC U-17 Women's Championship at Mangere Centre Park on April 9, but the "must do better" stamp is plastered all over their report card after producing a largely disappointing display against spirited but limited opponents. Their performances in all three matches of last October's Australian series were superior to this exhibition, which made watching it all the more frustrating - knowing that these young women, both individually and collectively, are much better than was evident both in this display and on the scoreboard. It wasn't that the Cook Islands posed them too many problems. If anything, the Young Ferns often gave the impression they were going through the motions, doing enough to keep their opponents at arm's length but without over-exerting themselves in the process. That lack of zip and zing in their play was what disappointed most of all. Emily Jensen, Meikayla Moore, Emma Rolston and Catherine Bott, who was withdrawn from the fray as a precaution at half-time, can certainly perform better than was evident in this match, which saw the Young Ferns first threaten in the fifth minute, when only the timely tackle of Aketuke Unuka denied Martine Puketapu in the act of shooting, after she had worked a one-two with Daisy Cleverley. Three minutes later, Puketapu's pace caught the Cook Islands defence unawares, the striker bursting between two opponents to latch onto the ball against the odds. This time, the legs of goalkeeper Mooroa Nootai kept the Young Ferns at bay. Four goals in a fifteen minute burst swiftly shattered the Cooks' resistance. Hannah Carlsen and Cleverley, both of whom were highly industrious throughout, combined in the eighteenth minute, with the latter's slide-rule through ball releasing Puketapu, who swept home an emphatic opener. Four minutes later, a Briar Palmer corner found Bott storming through the gathered throngs, and from four yards out, her downward header was simply unstoppable - 2-0, and the signs evident that more goals were imminent. The third one arrived soon enough, Rolston rattling home a 29th minute penalty after Edna Teio's clumsy challenge had felled Carlsen in the area. The fouled midfielder was swiftly back in the thick of the action, and four minutes later scored the game's best goal, after evading two challenges, working a one-two with Cleverley then weaving past another opponent before burying a twenty yard bullet beyond Nootai. In between times, the Young Ferns had, on the half-hour, produced the sort of move which many of those present were hoping to see far more frequently than had been the case so far. A sizzling interchange between Jensen, Cleverley, Jasmine Pereira and Moore opened up the Cook Islands left flank, and allowed the overlapping fullback to whip in a cross to the far post which Briar Palmer volleyed narrowly over the bar. Nine minutes before half-time, Laura Merrin and Cleverley combined to send Palmer prowling down the left, from where she picked out Pereira with a peach of a cross. The striker steered her effort past Nootai but a foot past the far post - another move deserving of better fate. Palmer hit the bar with a tantalising chip three minutes before half-time, then worked a short corner routine with Carlsen seconds later before whipping in a cross which found the head of Puketapu. Nootai grabbed the ball under pressure on this occasion, and should have been threatened again by Rolston before the half-time whistle, only for the midfielder to spurn a great chance to make it 5-0 through being too casual. Half-time substitute Megan Lee lifted the energy levels in the Young Ferns' efforts upon her introduction, but it was Carlsen and Cleverley who continued to carry the team via their vim and vigour. Just two minutes into the second spell, Carlsen doubled round Palmer and was perfectly placed to receive a pass from which she delivered a teasing cross for Nootai to deal with. The 'keeper's punch landed at the feet of Rolston, who blazed wildly over the bar. Ten minutes later, Lee released Merrin down the left with a delicious pass which the fullback took on in her stride and promptly made a bee-line for the by-line. From there, she clipped a cross to the far post where Pereira was flying in, only to direct the ball straight at Nootai - either side of her, and the Young Ferns would have gone nap! Instead, they got themselves into difficulties of their own making a few minutes later, with Cooks' captain, Tepaeru Toka, and team-mate Mona Taio both looking

Megan Lee Daisy Cleverley Hannah Carlsen Laura Merrin Briar Palmer Catherine Bott

to take advantage of some uncertain play in New Zealand's defensive third. The threat they posed was swiftly snuffed out, which prompted a couple of retaliatory strikes at the opposite end of the park, where Nootai capably dealt with long-range efforts from Moore and Cleverley. In the 67th minute, substitute Lauren Dabner's corner was met by Lee's header. Palmer tried to flick the ball home as it passed behind her, but the Cook Islands were able to scramble the ball to safety. At least, it was safe until Cleverley appeared on the scene - her twenty-yarder rattled the bar, dropping down to invite Puketapu to let fly. Nootai proved equal to the effort, but then threw the ball straight out to Palmer, who chipped home from twenty yards. 5-0 became 6-0 four minutes later. This time Cleverley and Puketapu combined to prise open the Cooks' defence, through which Palmer strode to tuck home her second goal of the game nineteen minutes from time. After Moore fired in a cross which bisected both Puketapu and substitute Briar McNamara, Carlsen unleashed a stinging drive in the 73rd minute which Nootai managed to block. Puketapu swooped on the rebound, but Nootai recovered to keep the ball out again. She couldn't manage a third attempt, though. Fifteen minutes from time, McNamara surged down the right before picking out Puketapu, who got it all wrong, only to be rescued by the supporting figure of Carlsen, who swept home the Young Ferns' seventh goal of the game from the edge of the penalty area. Late attempts by the New Zealand to double their first half scoring return proved fruitless. Nootai tipped a Jensen cross intended for Puketapu to safety, then denied the number nine at close quarters before Carlsen steered a shot straight at the 'keeper with virtually the last kick of the game. While it was a winning start for the Young Ferns as they bid to qualify for Azerbaijan, it was achieved with plenty to spare, and it is to be hoped that their performances against both New Caledonia, whom they face on Wednesday, and Papua New Guinea are more in keeping with the standards set by a team which has overcome both Australia and Argentina on the international stage in the last six months. Young Ferns:     Lipi; Moore, Jensen, Bott (Lee, 46), Merrin; Carlsen, Cleverley, Rolston (Dabner, 64); Pereira (McNamara, 69), Puketapu, Palmer Cook Islands:     Nootai; Carr, Teio, Maoate-Cox, Unuka (Nganu, 66); Taio, L. Trego (Valamaka, 46), Noovao (T. Trego, 86), Punua, Tupuna; Toka Referee:     Gerald Oiaka (Solomon Islands) In the day's other encounter, Georgina Kaikas' eighteenth minute effort earned Papua New Guinea a 1-0 win over a plucky New Caledonia combination which was reduced to ten players in the 53rd minute after captain Wakalane Ngaiohni was sent off for a foul on Papuan goalkeeper Biangka Gubag. The New Caledonians were unlucky to go down in this encounter, having forced the save of the match from Gubag in the fourth minute as she produced a stunning one-handed denial low to her right to deny Noe Valefakaaga's close-range volley. And seconds before the goal, Vanuatuan referee Robinson Banga missed a stonewall penalty when Papuan defender Talitha Irakau bundled over Monique Gorendiawe from behind. The official's display was best summed up in the second half when he brandished the red card at PNG midfielder Yvonne Gabong in error as he booked the player, one of four to appear on the disciplinary report post-match. Papua New Guinea certainly had chances to win by a bigger margin, with Kaikas and Ramona Lorenz both spurning open goals in the first half, while the match-winner fired wide with just New Caledonian 'keeper Deborah Selefen to beat fifteen minutes from time. Matchday Two action at the OFC U-17 Women's Championship takes place on Wednesday, but before then, opening round action at the U-20 tournament commences on Tuesday, with the 1pm clash of New Caledonia and Samoa preceding that between New Zealand's Junior Ferns and Papua New Guinea. Matchday One details: New Caledonia 0, Papua New Guinea 1 (G. Kaikas (18)) HT 0-1 New Zealand 7 (M. Puketapu (18), C. Bott (22), E. Rolston (29 pen), H. Carlsen (33, 75), B. Palmer (67, 71)), Cook Islands 0 HT 4-0