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NZ's U17 Women Are Jordan-Bound

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand's Young Ferns became the fourth team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals in Jordan later this year by overcoming Papua New Guinea 8-0 in the Oceania U-17 Women's Championship Final at the Cook Islands Football Academy in Rarotonga on January 23.

As expected, Gareth Turnbull's squad dominated the tournament, which attracted eight nations all told, the biggest turn-out at this qualifying tournament since FIFA introduced the U-17 Women's World Cup competition in 2008.

Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga and Vanuatu each recorded their first-ever victory at U-17 level during the course of the fortnight in Rarotonga, but none of the island nations could hold a candle to their Kiwi rivals, who recorded double-figure victories in all three of their group matches, as well as in their semi-final encounter.

Samoa was the first team to face the might of the Young Ferns' attacking prowess, Hannah Blake getting the Kiwis under way with the first goal of her hat-trick just eleven seconds into the encounter.

Canadian-based midfielder Gabrielle Jillings stamped her authority on the scoresheet six minutes later, after which the scoreboard ticked over on a regular basis until Blake struck the last one seconds before the final whistle wrapped up an 11-0 victory.

Jacqui Hand also bagged a hat-trick for the Young Ferns, while Sarah Krystman struck twice and Sam Tawharu once for the victors, with Samoa contributing an own goal to the scoreline.

Two days later, New Zealand went one better on the goalscoring front, although it took them the best part of thirty minutes to finally overcome New Caledonia's spirited resistance before they powered away to a 12-0 triumph.

Hand broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, before two goals in the shadows of the half-time whistle from fourteen-year-old Maggie Jenkins afforded the Young Ferns a solid advantage at the interval.

They really tore into their work in the second spell, Emma Main sparking the rout before Blake belted home a second successive treble. Jillings, Michaela Foster - with a penalty - and Claudia Bunge also chimed in, while Jenkins completed her hat-trick before Tawharu wrapped up the scoring deep in stoppage time.

After a welcome respite from the heat, in the form of an extra day's rest between matches, the Young Ferns unleashed a baker's dozen on Tonga at the Takitimu School in Matavera to clinch a first-placed finish in their group.

Whereas they scored nine goals in the second half of their clash with New Caledonia, it was the first half in which "Turnbull's Terrors" went one over the eight on this occasion, Jenkins leading the way with a first half hat-trick which was supplemented by braces from Blake, Main and Tawharu.

Blake completed her third successive treble in the second spell, while Tawharu and Jenkins went one better - they were both celebrating four-goal hauls come the final whistle of New Zealand's 13-0 victory over opponents whose second half display was much improved, unlike the weather - it bucketed down in the second spell!

Fiji stood in the way of New Zealand as they contemplated another appearance in the OFC

Hannah Blake

Jacqui Hand

Michaela Foster

Maggie Jenkins

Sam Tawharu

U-17 Women's Championship Final, which was an achievement in itself for the island nation - this was their maiden semi-final appearance at this level.

They were consigned to the third place play-off (which they won, 3-2 over New Caledonia) by an 11-0 defeat in which Blake, Main and Tawharu each struck twice. Krystman also found the target, while Hand was the only hat-trick hitter in a match which saw Fiji put through their own net on a day seven goals were struck in the first half.

So to the final, in which Papua New Guinea's resistance was spirited until finally breached by Blake in the 26th minute. Hand added a second goal eight minutes later, but there was no further scoring until the second half, when both markswomen went on to complete hat-tricks.

In Blake's case, it was her fourth treble of the tournament, a milestone achieved with the last kick of the game to confirm herself as OFC U-17 Women's Championship Golden Boot winner, with fourteen goals.

Tawharu and Foster - winner of the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament - added the extras as the Young Ferns maintained New Zealand's proud record at this age level and booked their tickets for Jordan, where they'll find DPR Korea, Japan and the host nation Jordan among the sixteen teams to contest the Finals, which commence on 30 September.

The identities of nine more nations - three each from the CONCACAF, South American and African confederations - will be known by the end of March, with the European trio known after their qualification tournament takes place in May.

Line-ups and scoring details:

11-0 Samoa - Nadia Olla; Claudia Bunge, Kate Williams, Rebecca Lake, Michaela Foster (Francesca Grange, 74); Gabrielle Jillings (Sarah Krystman, 60), Alosi Bloomfield, Malia Steinmetz; Hannah Blake, Sam Tawharu (Maggie Jenkins, 60), Jacqui Hand

Scorers: Blake (1, 81, 90), Jillings (7), Hand (13, 21, 65), Tawharu (36), "oggie" (73), Krystman (85, 90)

12-0 New Caledonia - Anna Leat; Grange, Ally Toailoa, Amber Phillips, Foster (Bunge, 63); Jillings (Tawharu, 78), Nicole Mettam, Krystman; Jenkins, Emma Main, Hand (Blake, 46)

Scorers: Hand (29), Jenkins (44, 45, 90 pen), Main (47), Blake (49, 70, 71), Jillings (52), Foster (58 pen), Bunge (68), Tawharu (90)

13-0 Tonga - Leat (Olla, 72); Grange, Toailoa (Williams, 46), Lake, Bunge; Tawharu, Bloomfield, Steinmetz; Blake (Jillings, 61), Main, Jenkins

Scorers: Blake (5, 16, 55), Jenkins (12, 24, 28, 84), Main (36, 43), Tawharu (41, 45, 53, 76)

11-0 Fiji - Olla; Grange, Williams (Lake, 80), Phillips, Foster; Jillings (Bloomfield, 46), Mettam, Krystman; Blake (Tawharu, 46), Main, Hand

Scorers: Blake (8, 45), Krystman (13), "oggie" (25), Main (42, 45), Hand (45, 76, 90), Tawharu (70, 88)

8-0 PNG - Leat; Bunge, Toailoa (Phillips, 82), Lake, Foster; Tawharu, Mettam (Krystman, 71), Steinmetz; Blake, Jenkins (Bloomfield, 56), Hand

Scorers: Blake (26, 47, 90), Hand (34, 51, 53), Tawharu (62), Foster (88)

Project Jordan 2016