The Junior Ferns continued their solid preparations for their upcoming OFC U-20 Women's World Cup qualifying tournament at McFetridge Park on March 25, getting the better of an under-strength Glenfield Rovers combination 2-1 to take out the Cure Kids Challenge, a fundraising football match for the Cure Kids charity. In a contest which well served both teams' preparations for their upcoming challenges - Glenfield's bid to win a third successive Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title kicks off next weekend - the New Zealand representatives engineered the only openings of the match in the first ten minutes. Olivia Chance worked a one-two with Kate Loye on the left and cruised deep into Rovers' penalty area before delivering a near post cross to the fast-arriving Hannah Wilkinson, who volleyed narrowly wide in the fourth minute. Five minutes later, Holly Patterson stripped Lauren Mathis of possession on half-way and stormed downfield before unleashing a curling twenty yard chip which arced over Pam Yates but clipped the top of the crossbar. Rovers' response came via Sarah Gibbs' twelfth minute free-kick, which Erin Nayler punched off the head of Jamie Hackett. The bouncing ball was fired goalwards by Briar McNamara, only for Katie Bowen to calmly clear off the line by the post. Three minutes later, Chance was caught in possession while casually dribbling out of defence by Emily Oosterhoff, one of six seventeen-year-olds Glenfield had on the pitch come the final whistle. The youngster's efforts allowed Gibbs to set up Hackett for a shot which rattled the side-netting of the Junior Ferns' goal. Further Glenfield pressure followed. Hannah Bromley - an impressive first half display - sent a long-range free-kick right into the heart of the Junior Ferns' penalty area. It wasn't dealt with, giving Hackett the chance to open the scoring. But Nayler denied the striker, saving this eighteenth minute threat with her legs. Cue a spell of Junior Ferns pressure in which Yates was in her element. The 'keeper tipped a shot on the turn by Steph Skilton onto the post in the twentieth minute, before thwarting Chance at point-blank range after Loye had broken up a Melissa Ray-led attack had fed Hannah Wilkinson, who set up the South Florida University-bound starlet in the 22nd minute. Loye had endured a couple of rugged challenges during the opening half-hour, and made way for a young prospect with potential aplenty - she's certainly a more than useful option to call on off the bench, as was the case in the 28th minute. Rosie White took little time in making her presence felt. Just four minutes after taking the field, her raking crossfield ball found its way through to Patterson, who brought the best out of Yates with a rasping twenty-five yarder. Two minutes later, White was in again, beating two opponents on a right flank run which culminated in her arrowing a low cross across the face of goal, inches too far in front of Wilkinson, who was sliding in attempting to turn the ball home. How Glenfield survived with their goal-line intact ten minutes before half-time had to be seen to be believed! White sparked off this mini-onslaught, riding Rebecca O'Neill's tackle to ignite a string of chances. She played Skilton in, but the striker's shot was blocked by Bromley. The rebound fell to Wilkinson, who linked with White, the substitute evading a challenge before seeing her cross deflected away from goal. The ball dropped to Patterson, but again Bromley was on hand to block the shot. Yates then blocked a Skilton effort as the Junior Ferns pounded away in search of the game's opening goal. The ball finally found its way to Evie Millynn, whose rasping twenty-yard grasscutter fizzed inches past Yates' right-hand post - a remarkable passage of play. Still they weren't done with. Wilkinson played the ball wide left for Chance, whose teasing cross outsmarted Yates but proved too good for Skilton also. The striker instead set up Rebecca Burrows, who held off an opponent before playing in Patterson. Her sharp run culminated in a twenty yard drive which thudded against a post. Inside the next sixty seconds, Wilkinson - who is bound for the University of Tennessee later in the year - set off on one of her trademark powerhouse runs which leave defenders trembling. This was a forty yard burst, but Ashleigh Ward stood her ground well, forcing the striker wide, Wilkinson ultimately hitting the side-netting. The final act of note in the first half came four minutes prior to its conclusion. Millynn and Skilton combined to set up White, whose twenty-yard firecracker was top corner-bound. Only a stunning reaction save from Yates prevented the ball from getting there. The Junior Ferns made the bulk of their changes at half-time, with one of the newcomers, Georgia Brown, making an instant impression. Straight from the kick-off, she led the charge downfield, and within twenty-five seconds had forced Yates into a smothering save. Glenfield's 'keeper then denied Chance at close quarters, after White's pass had released the wing wizard, but Yates was finally beaten in the 53rd minute. Chance's short free-kick saw Skilton involved

Olivia Chance Hannah Wilkinson Hannah Bromley Rosie White Holly Patterson Ashleigh Ward Coach Aaron McFarland

in a move which saw the ball arrive at the feet of Bowen just outside the area. Her unerring drive careered through the crowded goalmouth and into the far corner of the net to open the scoring. But while the Junior Ferns were still celebrating, Glenfield rampaged downfield from the restart and forced a corner. Gibbs' delivery was superb - right in the danger zone, and just what the doctor ordered as far as O'Neill was concerned. Amidst the gathered throngs, she soared skywards to head home a text-book set-piece equaliser - 1-1 after 55 minutes. After Chance had made way for Tayla O'Brien, and Ward achieved the unusual feat of playing for both teams in the same match - the Junior Ferns' defensive prospect had moved out of the Glenfield dressing room at half-time, the home team went close to taking the lead when Becky Hawker's 64th minute twenty-five yard speculator had Corina Brown scrambling across her goal, and with good reason. Three minutes later, the home team were calling referee Anna-Marie Keighley all manner of naughty names under their collective breath after she had ignored an incident which saw Bowen leave McNamara in a heap and in need of treatment following an aerial duel. A brief spell on the sidelines did the youngster a power of good, and under the "rolling subs" nature of this fixture, she returned to the fray soon after. But not before the University of North Carolina-bound Bowen had sent White dashing down the right on receipt of the defender's raking pass. Bromley challenged the most capped player on the park, but White outsmarted her, engineering enough space from which she clipped a gorgeous cross to the far post. Skilton, arriving on cue, knew Yates had been beaten by the flight of the ball, and looked odds on to head home from six yards and give the Junior Ferns a 2-1 lead. The tracking figure of Gibbs had other ideas, however, and as Skilton headed the ball down, she rose to head it up and over her own crossbar - a terrific piece of never-say-die defending. The Bowen-White ticket was employed again seven minutes from time, as the Junior Ferns kept on pressing for an elusive winner. This time, White played the ball into the stride of Lucy Carter, who smashed a twenty-five yard thunderbolt against Yates' right-hand post. With a minute of running time left, the Junior Ferns finally made the breakthrough their performance merited. O'Brien's tantalising run into the area saw her round Yates, prompting the 'keeper to ankle-tap the young winger. Had she gone down, a penalty was a near-certainty, but O'Brien chose to attempt to stay on her feet. She maintained her balance, got to the byline but played the ball back behind White. Patterson was following up, however, only to smash her shot against Yates' left-hand post. The rebound landed perfectly at the feet of White, and with all present expecting her to thump the ball at the target, she proved her class, gently caressing it wide of the surprised figure of Yates to give the Junior Ferns a 2-1 lead with a quality finish. Before the final whistle, they could well have extended it. Georgia Brown's fine work on the right culminated in a chance for O'Brien, who got the better of Yates, only to see well-performed youngster Dallas Olsen clear her effort off the line. Seconds later, Yates sent the ball downfield for McNamara to pursue. She stood up Kate Carlton, only to direct her shot straight at Corina Brown, who sparked a counter-attack which brought about the save of the game. Georgia Brown raced down the right once more before delivering a delicious cross to the far post which had White's name written all over it. The striker duly rose to meet it and guide her header into the top far corner of the net, but she hadn't reckoned on Yates pulling off a stunning one-handed save to keep it out of the "postage stamp" - this one was right out of the top drawer. It wasn't enough to stave off a rare defeat for Glenfield, however, although with the likes of Bowen, Skilton, Wilkinson and Priscilla Duncan to come into their starting line-up, little should be read into this result - if anything, it was hugely beneficial for them, a test of their strength in depth which they passed well. As for the Junior Ferns, who had the likes of Tessa Berger unavailable for this match, let's just say the island nations are going to have one heck of a job containing this squad in a fortnight or so, because its attacking potential is frightening. Indeed, it's matches such as this one, rather than the upcoming qualifying tournament, which will be of greater long-term value to coach Aaron McFarland given the quality of opposition they will face at Japan 2012 should the Junior Ferns, as expected, qualify for same. Glenfield:     Yates; Olsen, Bromley, O'Neill (Wivell, 79), Ward (Innes, 46); Oosterhoff (McNamara, 74), Ray (Hawker, 28), Gibbs, Mathis (Paterson, 46); Hackett (Oosterhoff, 87), McNamara (Ray, 67) Junior Ferns:     Nayler (C. Brown, 46); Patterson (Ward, 64), Bowen, Smallfield (Carter, 46), Head (Carlton, 46); Burrows, Millynn, Loye (White, 28); Skilton (Patterson, 85), Wilkinson (G. Brown, 46), Chance (O'Brien, 58) Referee:     Anne-Marie Keighley