A courageous, character-laden performance from New Zealand's U17 Women's squad saw them score a richly deserved 1-1 draw with their Korea Republic counterparts in the final match of their three-game series at Taharoto Park on 12 December. Sporting eight changes from the side which the Koreans humbled 6-0 just two days previously, one of which came about through Annalie Longo's pending departure with the Football Ferns to China, the Young Ferns gave as good as they got against their fellow 2008 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup finalists, and after withstanding some early pressure, gave the visitors something to think about in the seventh minute. Hannah Wall, one of New Zealand's shining lights throughout this series, set off down the left and gave fullback Shin Mina the runaround before steering a low cross into the path of Sarah McLaughlin. With Jessica Rollings steaming up in support outside her, completely unmarked and with just the `keeper to beat, McLaughlin took one touch too many, and was instead forced to turn the ball back to Yumi Nguyen, whose twenty yarder fizzed past the post. This roused the Koreans, who raced downfield, only for striker Lee Hyunyoung to see her effort blocked by the legs of Charlotte Wood. New Zealand scrambled the danger to safety, and in the eleventh minute, were celebrating taking the lead for the first time in the series. Wall was again the chief tormentor, dashing down the left before making a beeline for the Korean penalty area. She never reached it, Shin chopping her down just outside the eighteen-yard box. McLaughlin's eyes lit up - a free-kick some twenty yards from goal is well inside her shooting range, and she let loose a bullet which completely exposed the shortcomings of Korean goalkeeper, Shim Danbi, who was beaten all ends up at her near post to the delight of the Young Ferns and the 200-odd fans who turned up to cheer them on. New Zealand in front was not something the Koreans had bargained on - they were going for a series whitewash in this match, and finding themselves trailing on the scoreboard was certainly not in the script for a side sporting their first-choice line-up. Captain Ji So Yun wasn't allowed to impress, however, so impressively did Nadia Pearl adhere to the task of marking the visitors' most dangerous individual. Instead, the Koreans had to find other avenues via which they could address the situation, one of which New Zealand hadn't anticipated. In the fourteenth minute, Bridgette Armstrong committed the cardinal sin of getting caught in possession whilst dribbling out of defence. Lee Minsun stripped her of the ball, and promptly swept it across towards Lee Hyunyoung. It never reached her, however, Wood flinging herself forward to paw the ball away towards the edge of the penalty area, where the incoming Cho Sun Hwa, who wasn't anticipating the `keeper's actions, was unable to adjust her stride in time, and fired the ball over the bar. Three minutes later, the offside flag denied Lee Hyunyoung an equalising goal, while Wood tipped away the striker's overhead kick in the 21st minute, the `keeper looking on with relief as Lee Eunkyung's thunderbolt screamed inches past her left-hand upright seconds later, New Zealand having failed to adequately clear the danger following her save. A vital tackle by the impressive - again - Briony Fisher - denied Lee Minsun in the penalty area soon afterwards, the Korean player then shooting straight at Wood after Park Heeyoung and Cho had linked on the left. The Koreans had penned the Kiwis back inside their own half since the goal, but when the home team was afforded a brief respite from the onslaught, they wasted little time in threatening their opponents' goal again. Rollings released Wall in the 26th minute, the striker checking past a defender before unleashing a twenty-five yarder which careered narrowly past Shim's right-hand post. New Zealand's team structure was so effective that, for a good five minutes around the half-hour mark, the Koreans simply couldn't get the ball out of their own half! They'd play it across to the right, back to the left, and right again, but all to no avail, as the Young Ferns covered every crevice through which a Korean striker might threaten. It was a tremendously disciplined defensive effort, which was finally breached in the 36th minute. Cho played the ball wide to fullback Shin, whose angled ball forward found substitute Yeo Min Ji darting through the middle. The striker did her best to direct a difficult volleyed chance on target, her effort warming the gloves of Wood. The left flank was the source of so many problems in Monday's match. Megan Shea did a terrific job plugging many of those holes in this encounter, but on this occasion, five minutes before half-time, Lee Minsun got in behind her and whipped over a low cross. Ji was her target, and Korea's captain, for once free of Pearl's near-constant shadow, showed how dangerous she can be by hitting the post with her first sight of goal in the match. The ricochet fell perfectly into the stride of Park to ram home an equaliser, but Rebecca Brown, New Zealand's captain for the day, led by example in clearing off the line. Park took the resulting corner, and picked out the head of Lee Young Joo. Her bullet-like header was in for all money, but Wall leapt skywards to head the ball off the line. But not to complete safety, with further Korean pressure culminating in a rather unorthodox clearance by Wood, who volleyed the ball to safety off the unfortunate figure of Park. Unfortunate because she was one of three Koreans who required treatment in different incidents before referee Neil Fox finally blew his half-time whistle some seven minutes later than planned. Ji landed heavily, taking a blow to the head, while two Koreans collided in the Kiwi penalty area, one of whom took the brunt of her team-mate's forward momentum and eventually lived to tell the tale. Park was involved in the final incident, one which also

Jessica Rollings flies into challenge a Korean opponent Yumi Nguyen Caitlin Campbell Ji So Yun can't escape the clutches of Nadia Pearl Rosie White closed down by Shin Mina Leah Gallie Rebecca Brown Megan Shea

left Wood requiring treatment. The pair collided in the goalmouth, and while the `keeper continued, albeit in obvious discomfort, the Korean striker was unable to shake off her injuries, and was replaced early in the second spell. The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession during the final forty-five minutes of the series, but penetrating New Zealand's defences was a completely different kettle of fish on this occasion, and such was the Young Ferns' solidity in this aspect of the game that their opponents were forced into playing hit-and-hope football, rather than their usual steady build-up through midfield, long before the final whistle. This un-Korean-like approach paid dividends for them on the hour, when they dragged themselves back on level terms. Koh Kyung Leon fired the ball down the right for Oh Hye Mi to pursue, and she skipped round a hesitant Armstrong before picking out Yeo with her cross. From fifteen yards, the substitute thrashed the ball beyond Wood's clutches - 1-1. Yet three minutes earlier, it could just as easily have been 2-0. Wall had a whale of a game, on this occasion sparking off an attack half-way inside her own half as a result of tracking back and intercepting a pass. She laid the ball off to Nguyen, who sent McLaughlin racing down the left, with defenders and Wall in hot pursuit. The Young Ferns' goalscorer played the ball back to her team-mate, whose cross was headed for a corner by Koh. McLaughlin delivered this, picking out Armstrong, whose twelve-yard header crashed against the base of Shim's left-hand post. A foot to the left … The Trojan-like Kiwis were running themselves to a standstill for the cause. Playing through the pain barrier had been the subject of an address to the squad on the eve of the match by an honours graduate in that particular aspect of the game, fearless Football Ferns international, Maia Jackman. The youngsters clearly took their idol's words to heart, Rollings' example typical of the Young Ferns who gave their all for the cause in this display. Half-way through the second half, she had nothing but fumes left in the tank when Yeo set off on a run towards the penalty area. But the speedster chased down her opponent inside the box and got in a telling tackle, only for Yeo to land on top of her, unintentionally landing a blow to Rollings' sternum which, given she was running on empty, ensured her departure from the fray would be earlier than desired. Cue Caitlin Campbell, who wasted little time in introducing herself to the Koreans. Latching onto a pass from Shea, she let fly with a lofted twenty-five yard effort sixteen minutes from time which Shim grabbed somewhat nervously under her crossbar - the Korean goalkeeper played every minute of all three games in the series, and never looked comfortable when under the slightest pressure. But all around the two-times-capped New Zealand international, her team-mates were wilting. Wall virtually ran herself to a standstill. Brown, Fisher, Pearl and Leah Gallie were out on their feet, such had been their workload, but from somewhere found the strength to carry on. That Pearl was tiring was evident by the increasing involvement in the match of Ji, who was central to the two opportunities the Koreans had to snatch a winner in the last fifteen minutes. On the first occasion, her twenty-five yarder curled over the bar, while five minutes from time, she set off on a mazy run across the face of the Young Ferns' defence, looking for an opening. Spotting it, she darted for the gap, and despite Armstrong's despairing lunge, unleashed a fifteen-yarder which had “goal” written all over it. Wood had other ideas, however, and flung herself low to her right to produce a magnificent fingertip save at full stretch. Surely now, New Zealand wouldn't be beaten. They weren't - in this match, they didn't deserve to be. “We deserved that!”, coach Paul Temple quite rightly declared after the final whistle. “The girls got through two games' work in that match - their work-rate was unbelievable. They played beyond the pain barrier. “I'm really proud of the girls, achieving that result against a top-ten-ranked team less than forty-eight hours after having copped a hiding from them. We showed some real character, an amazing attitude, and played some good football at times, with some of our players getting the better of their opponents. “It's a great end to the year for us. The girls are buzzing - I'm really happy”. With the inaugural FIFA U17 Women's World Cup Finals just eleven months away, this series was crucial in New Zealand's preparations, particularly in terms of confirming players who can rise to the challenge which international football demands. From this writer's perspective, ten of the twenty Young Ferns in action during this series have gone a long way towards staking their claims for a place in the squad on which this nation's hopes will rest from October 30 next year, while a handful more have shown they have the potential to do so, given the chance to enjoy more game-time than was the case this week. Not surprisingly, three of those in the former category enjoyed special mentions in despatches from their coach after this 1-1 draw. “Nadia Pearl was asked to do a job on the best player we've seen at this age level so far. Ji So Yun barely got a look-in as a result - top drawer stuff. “Hannah Wall was outstanding - she has real international potential. Briony Fisher, meanwhile, showed fight, desire, real leadership, and epitomised what we want to see when wearing the shirt. But all the girls gave their all today - I'm really proud of them!” New Zealand:     Wood; Brown, Fisher, Armstrong, Shea; Rollings (Campbell, 68), Nguyen (White, 59), Pearl, Gallie (Kerdemelidis, 87), Wall (Mathis, 87); McLaughlin Korea Rep.:     Shim; Shin, Koh, Song, E. Lee; M. Lee (Kim, 90), Y. Lee (Y. Oh, 87), Cho, Park (M. Oh, 49); Ji, H. Lee (Yeo, 31) (Mok, 76) (Seo, 87) Referee:     Neil Fox