New Zealand's Junior Ferns booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 OFC U-19 Women's Championship with a game to spare on 25 September, overcoming a dogged and spirited New Caledonia combination 4-0 at Stade Paea in Papeete.
Callum Holmes' charges had to work hard for this win, and it wasn't until the introduction of a couple of their game-breakers after half-time that they truly gained the upper hand against opponents whose determined efforts forced many an error by the Junior Ferns during the opening forty-five minutes.
Patience was the watchword for the reigning champions throughout proceedings, with Grace Bartlett engineering the game's first opening in the ninth minute via a measured cross to the far post which Isla Cleall-Harding headed down into the hands of Elizabeth Aben.
Seven minutes later, the Junior Ferns opened the scoring following more good work by Bartlett down the right. Her cross, intended for Cleall-Harding, was pawed out by Aben and cleared further by Deyanera Michel, but only as far as Charlotte Mortlock. She slipped Lily Brazendale through the inside left channel, from where she walloped the ball into the top far corner of the net.
Within seconds, New Zealand should have doubled their lead. Mackenzie Longmuir, Brazendale and Cleall-Harding combined to send Amber De Wit darting through the offside trap, leaving her with just Aben to beat.
She failed to, however, the 'keeper diverting her shot onto the upright, with the retreating figure of Louane Poloue-Kasouemi reacting quickest to clear the rebound to safety, albeit at a price - she injured herself in the process, and was withdrawn from the fray soon afterwards.
After Aben had pawed a Mortlock cross off Brazendale's head - the 'keeper's aerial prowess was impressive throughout proceedings - New Caledonia came close to equalising in the 28th minute. Alyssha Eglinton was caught in possession just outside her penalty area by Aziliz Naaoutchoue, which allowed Kheimera Gondou to unleash a fierce drive, forcing Sophie Campbell into a scrambled save low to her right.
The Junior Ferns heeded the warning and pressed for a second goal prior to the interval. Aben ensured it wouldn't materialise, however, denying long-range efforts from Penny Brill and Mortlock either side of tipping a Brazendale cross-shot to safety, beyond Mary Brown who was racing in on the far post.
On the stroke of half-time, Mortlock played a short corner to Brill, whose sharp turn outfoxed the defender and afforded the midfielder time and space to pick her pass from the by-line. De Wit was the beneficiary, but her shot was blocked at close quarters.
Junior Ferns coach Callum Holmes, whose over-reliance on the Wellington Phoenix players he coaches throughout the season is a concern, considering some are average at best, form-wise, turned to his bench to raise the Junior Ferns' standards in the second spell.
West Coast Rangers' Emily Lyon and former Auckland United starlet Poppy O'Brien both made an instant impact following their introduction, with the latter released down the right by Mortlock in the 48th minute. She could have gone for goal herself, but looked to set up Lyon, who was just a stride away from doubling the Junior Ferns' advantage.
|
Seconds later, De Wit worked a one-two with Lyon before being denied by Aben, who tipped a Brazendale shot onto the post in the 51st minute after O'Brien had picked out the game's lone scorer to this point with a measured cross.
Two minutes elapsed before O'Brien instigated another attack, one in which Brill's role was pivotal. Receiving a pass from her fellow former Auckland United team-mate, the midfield general worked a one-two with De Wit before playing in Lyon, who pulled her shot across the face of goal.
Longmuir and De Wit then combined to send Cleall-Harding through on goal with just Aben to beat, but the striker wastefully squandered a glorious chance to double New Zealand's lead, shooting early but wide of the target.
After De Wit had been denied a goal by the offside flag, she was afforded another chance by a storming run to the by-line by O'Brien. Her cross revealed a flaw in De Wit's make-up - her left foot is only for standing on, not shooting with - and it was left to Brazendale to attempt to capitalise on the opportunity.
Aben parried this effort to safety, then looked on with relief on the hour as Cleall-Harding fired over the bar from six yards, Charli Dunn, O'Brien and Brazendale having combined to set up the striker.
The Junior Ferns survived a scare when Campbell's attempted 61st minute clearance was charged down by the effervescent Honakoko, who also charged her arm from distance six minutes later after Lyon had been caught in possession in the centre circle. The goalkeeper was untroubled by this effort, which proved to be New Caledonia's last of the match.
For after a Lyon cross bisected O'Brien and the freshly introduced Zoe Benson, the Junior Ferns finally doubled their lead twenty minutes from time. Mortlock and Daisy Brazendale combined with De Wit, who worked a one-two with Lyon before thundering a twenty-yarder beyond the diving figure of Aben - 2-0.
That goal allowed the Kiwis to relax a touch, and after Aben had dived to her left to deny Lyon, the goalkeeper looked on with relief as Brill sent an angled drive flying past the far post after a lovely move which also featured Longmuir, Benson and Lyon.
Benson failed to do justice to the combined efforts of O'Brien and Lyon ten minutes from time, but made amends from the penalty spot five minutes later, Chinese referee Shuting Yang pointing to the spot after Lyon had appealed after being clipped in the area.
Mortlock, Daisy Brazendale, De Wit and Benson strung the passes together in the 88th minute, only for Lyon to be foiled by Aben once more, but the goalkeeper was afforded no chance by Benson in stoppage time, the Junior Ferns' trump card beating her all ends up after Mackenzie Greene, Mortlock, De Wit and Lyon had prised open New Caledonia's rearguard for the final time in this contest, the game's fourth and final goal the result of their efforts.
New Caledonia: Aben; Kenon, Hmae, Wenessia, Poloue-Kasouemi (Honakoko, 24); Gondou (Geihaze, 72), Michel, Waheo, Golitin (Bati, 82); Naaoutchoue (booked, 45 (Ngazo, 72)), Kourevi
Junior Ferns: Campbell; Longmuir, Eglinton (Greene, 79), Dunn; Bartlett (O'Brien, 46), Brill, Mortlock, De Wit; Brown (Lyon, 46), Cleall-Harding (Benson, 68), L. Brazendale (D. Brazendale, 68)
Referee: Shuting Yang (China)
|