The first match in a three-test series between the New Zealand and Australian Secondary Schoolgirls finished scoreless on North Harbour Stadium’s outer oval on September 28, but it wasn’t for the want of trying on the part of both teams. Sadly, Mother Nature deemed this fixture merited her involvement, and the stiff wind which blasted down the ground, coupled with the slushy playing surface, rendered the playing of quality football to be of "optional extra" status. To their credit, the Australians looked to apply a more constructive, passing-oriented plan against their Kiwi counterparts, who, all too often, lacked subtlety and finesse in their football, some glimpses of quality from, particularly, Kirsty Yallop apart. Generally, New Zealand’s play was rather one-dimensional, a ploy which their trans-tasman rivals soon grew wise to. But before the natives had a chance to implement their approach, the visitors went close to opening the scoring just ninety seconds into the match. Ellie Brush crossed from the right, the wind causing Aroon Clansey to badly misjudge the flight of the ball. Fortunately for NZ’s goalkeeper, Emma Harrison - an eye-catching performance - was on hand to clear the danger. Things were fairly even after this early scare for New Zealand until the ninth minute, when a Renee Rollason free-kick struck the arm of Brush and sat up perfectly for Andrea Totsidis to let fly. She pulled her shot wide of the mark as the locals gave referee Michael Brock the third degree for failing to call the hand-ball offence. New Zealand responded on the quarter-hour with their first raid of consequence. Anne Ormrod - with Yallop, playing her only game of the series prior to heading to the USA as part of the country’s national women’s squad - played the ball back to Hannah Rishworth, the captain squaring the ball to Hannah Bromley. The Taranaki-based defender pummelled the ball forward, releasing Sarah Gregorious on an unsuspecting Australian defence. But Erin Herd stood firm in dealing with the striker’s effort, the goalkeeper being more troubled by another raid six minutes later. This time, a free-kick from Bromley was the prime source of her concern, although the presence of Yallop, Ormrod and Gregorious in and around the goalmouth gave Herd added cause for consternation. But the ‘keeper didn’t hesitate to race off her line and thwart the danger in style. Seven minutes later, as Kiwi midfielder Annie Olssen lay prone with an injury which forced her premature departure from the fray, Australia, with the wind at their backs in the first spell, launched a raid against their outnumbered opponents through Brush. She linked with Totsidis, who let fly with a rasping twenty-yard drive which fizzed past Clansey and just past the far post. Toni West got the nod to replace Olssen, but it was the Australians who continued to dominate over the course of the next ten minutes. Krystina Walker’s twinkle-toed run took her past three opponents, but her twenty-yard shot, like that of the free-kick unleashed soon after by the impressive Melissa Feuerriegel, was capably dealt with by Clansey. Brush was causing all sorts of problems down the right, however, and did so again five minutes before the interval, in conjunction with Totsidis. She fashioned a cross beyond Rishworth for Rollason, whose header flew wide of the mark. The Australians’ failure to make the most of the prevailing wind was almost emphasised in stoppage time, when Bromley used the elements well to curl a free-kick into the near post region. Herd grabbed the ball to conclude the half with the scoreline unaltered since kick-off. It was to remain that way, too, despite the natives having what looked to be a two-goal wind behind them in the second spell. Indeed, it was the

Australians who had the first attempt on goal in this half, too, with Feuerriegel’s surging run forward culminating in a pass to Rollason in the 52nd minute. She played the ball wide to Vanessa Hart, whose shot was grabbed by Clansey. Seconds later, the ball was at the other end of the park, as the ‘keeper, whose frequent screeching of instructions at her defence was part and parcel of the first half entertainment, hoisted a monstrous clearance downfield which reached her opposite number, Herd, with just two bounces - that alone gave an indication of the sheer strength of the wind. New Zealand, upon seeing this, endeavoured to follow suit at any given opportunity, and "hoof and hope" football became commonplace by the white-clad side throughout the course of the second spell. Occasionally they provided some variation to this approach and strung a few passes together, and it was when doing so that the Australians were unhinged. That was the case in the 58th minute, and it came as no surprise to discover Yallop and Ormrod at the heart of the move. The former sprayed the ball wide to the latter, who turned her opponent smartly before crossing neatly for Gregorious. With Yallop racing forward in support, the Wellington-based striker opted to lay the ball back to her midfield side-kick, Maggie Lankshear, who let fly with a twenty-five yard piledriver. Herd proved equal to the task. Two chances in as many minutes half-way through the second half threatened to turn the game Australia’s way. Rollason led the charge with the first effort, evading Bromley’s challenge before letting fly with a ferocious twenty-yard drive. The crossbar came to Clansey’s rescue on this occasion, and New Zealand scrambled the ball clear. Totsidis, however, pounced on the sphere and chanced her arm from distance. But she sliced her effort wildly - instead, it turned into a fine swerving pass to Feuerriegel, who got to the byline before firing in a cross to the far post. There, unmarked, was Walker, who steered her effort wide of the target as her opponents looked on with relief. The set-piece prowess of Bromley was central to the bulk of the game’s remaining highlights. Her seventieth minute free-kick was punched off the head of Ormrod by Herd, whose collision with the striker forced the soon-to-be national team debutant from the park before the final whistle. Four minutes from time, another free-kick from Bromley picked out West, whose flying header was tipped round the post at full stretch by Herd - a brilliant save, which she followed up by punching clear Bromley’s resulting corner. The anticipation of Clansey prevented Michaela Day and substitute Carys Hawkins from pouncing against the run of play in the dying minutes of the match, but the New Zealanders were also unable to break the deadlock in stoppage time. As another Bromley corner homed into the goalmouth, substitute Josie Fitzsimons found herself unmarked eight yards out, but sent her header flashing across the face of goal to confirm that neither side would find the net in this opening match of three in the series, the first time since 1994 that New Zealand have avoided defeat against their trans-tasman rivals. Incidentally, that 1994 series marked the only occasion to date in which the NZ Secondary Schoolgirls have beaten their Australian counterparts in a match. Today’s fixture was the eighteenth clash between the two, with others in this series to follow at the same venue, North Harbour Stadium #3, on September 30 and October 2, both kicking off at 3pm. New Zealand:     Clansey; Rennie, Bromley, Rishworth, Tunnicliffe; Harrison, Yallop, Lankshear, Olssen (West, 29); Gregorious, Ormond (Fitzsimons, 81) Australia:     Herd; Walker (Owens, 83), Blacka, Frankcombe, Day; Brush, Feuerriegel, Hart, Tavolaro (Hawkins, 68); Totsidis (Shaw, 68), Rollason Referee:     Michael Brock