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Papuans Push Junior Ferns All The Way To Canada

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand's Junior Ferns secured their expected passage to the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in Canada on February 22, but they were pushed every step of the way by a plucky Papua New Guinea side before clinching the OFC U-20 Women's Championship with a 3-0 victory at Centre Park.

The Papuans gave plenty of cheek to their Kiwi counterparts in the opening stages of the match, and had goalkeeper Lace Kunei not been punished for a poor goal-kick in the tenth minute, things could have been extremely interesting.

The 'keeper had kept out an early Briar Palmer shot moments prior, but her clearance on this occasion only went as far downfield as Catherine Bott, who surged forward before slipping a pass inside for Belinda Van Noorden.

She side-stepped a challenge before blasting the ball beyond the wrong-footed figure of Kunei, much to the delight of the Junior Ferns, and relief, as things were to prove.

Rachel Wadunah's charges produced an aggressive performance which flustered their fellow title contenders in the first forty-five minutes, occasionally bringing about errors in the Junior Ferns' ranks.

Such as in the thirteenth minute, when Meikayla Moore erred under pressure from Nicolla Niaman, New Zealand's captain recovering the situation at the expense of a corner, which Meagan Gunemba delivered into the danger zone.

Lily Alfeld came for the ball but got nowhere near it, unlike Yvonne Gabong, who came flying in to send a header bulleting over the bar. Had that gone in …

It wasn't the Papuans' only opportunity from a corner either. Twice Alfeld found herself punching Gunemba's deliveries off the head of Niaman inside the next ten minutes, while in between these openings, a Rumona Morris free-kick wasn't cleared, prompting Georgina Kaikas to send a volley fizzing over the bar from fifteen yards.

The Junior Ferns didn't help themselves during this spell of Papuan pressure. Alfeld's mistimed goal-kick in the 26th minute caught Moore by surprise. Thankfully for Aaron McFarland's charges, Gabong was similarly startled, and was unable to take advantage of the situation.

New Zealand managed just one attempt on goal of note in the twenty minutes after taking the lead, Issy Coombes' twenty yard volley narrowly passing the post after Emma Rolston - playing in a midfield role to accommodate the height Van Noorden brought to the attack - had come off second best following a clash of heads.

The Junior Ferns finally fended off the persistent Papuans in the 34th minute, when Emily Jensen's headed clearance of a Kaikas free-kick sparked a slick counter-attack which featured Daisy Cleverley - a strong game, Rolston and the ever-lively Palmer, who scampered away before picking out Van Noorden with her cross.

The striker's twenty-yarder drifted over the bar, moments before Kunei required two attempts to keep out a Rolston snapshot from twenty-five yards.

Eight minutes before half-time, the Junior Ferns squandered a great chance to double their lead. Coombes - she worked her socks off for the cause once again - linked with Rolston, whose slide-rule pass played in Martine Puketapu, who had just Kunei to beat.

The youngster's hesitance in this one-on-one situation was capitalised upon by the goalkeeper, who thwarted the striker at close quarters. Kunei was in action again two minutes later, Coombes and Bott combining to pick out Palmer, whose neat control was supplemented by a venomous drive which the 'keeper could only parry.

No-one in a white shirt was following in, however, allowing Kunei to recover a ball she was to see twice more in anger before

the half-time whistle. Van Noorden was the player denied on both occasions, the 'keeper combining with Dinna Awele to frustrate the front-runner in the 43rd minute, before Kunei grabbed the striker's twenty-five yard attempt in first half stoppage time.

That was to be Van Noorden's final contribution to the contest, for McFarland rang the changes at half-time, unleashing midfielder Lauren Dabner and fullback Laura Merrin - a surprise absentee from the starting line-up - upon second half proceedings.

With their arrival, and with Rolston returning to her usual attacking spearhead role as a result of the double-change, the Junior Ferns instantly looked like a balanced team again, and the subsequent zip and zest in their play, coupled with the marked increase in their intensity, reflected this.

But not before Papuan fullback Talitha Irakau had given them a scare with a long-range volley from just inside New Zealand's half in the 48th minute. It caught Alfeld by surprise, but she quickly positioned herself to deal with a shot which earned plenty of cheers from the decent-sized crowd, many of whom were urging on the underdogs.

It was to prove Papua New Guinea's last shot in anger, for the Junior Ferns spent large chunks of the second half camped in their opponents' half of the pitch, patiently probing for openings which materialised, but weren't taken - adding a ruthless killer instinct in front of goal to embellish their passing game is something which coach McFarland clearly needs to work on with this squad prior to the finals in August.

Rolston sliced a 49th minute chance wide after Moore, Cleverley, Bott - her bustling runs down the right were a feature of the half - and Puketapu combined to set up their team-mate.

The striker then saw Kunei swat her header to safety, seconds after Puketapu just failed to get on the end of a cross which had the paw-marks of Merrin and Palmer all over it, such is the understanding this naturally left-footed duo have developed while operating in tandem down that flank for their country over the last couple of years.

Dabner, whose presence brought some much-needed drive in midfield, let rip in the 51st minute, her fifteen-yarder narrowly missing the upright, the same post which Cleverley's cheeky chipped eighteen-yarder drifted past four minutes later, after Moore, Rolston and Puketapu had worked the opening.

Another flowing move, featuring Jensen, Coombes, Cleverley, Merrin, Rolston and Palmer, only foundered when Irakau's despairing challenge curtailed Puketapu's prospects of finishing it off.

The Young Ferns' front-runner was then thwarted by Gabong's presence, the fleet-footed Papuan blocking Puketapu's thunderous volley just shy of the hour mark. Cleverley, with a 62nd minute header which crept inches past the post, and Rolston went close soon after, Palmer the source of both opportunities.

Five minutes later, Bott was off the pitch reluctantly receiving treatment for an injury, which presented Papua New Guinea with a rare opportunity to strike. Gunemba swiftly surged through the inside left channel, wrong-footing Moore in the process, before sweeping the ball across to Gabong.

Before she had a chance to shoot, Merrin swooped to tidy things up from New Zealand's perspective, two minutes before setting up Rolston for a looping header which landed on the roof of Kunei's net.

Rolston had stung the gloves of the 'keeper just prior to that chance, while in the 76th minute, Palmer saw her in-swinging corner headed off the line by Grace Jessem. The ball was only cleared as far as Puketapu, who thundered a ten yard volley against the post with Kunei beaten - a genuine let-off for the Papuans.

After Palmer had sent a header floating over

the target, and Kunei's one-handed save denied Rolston, who sent a shot sliding wide following Moore's indirect free-kick inside the penalty area in the 83rd minute, Palmer came within inches of doubling the Junior Ferns' advantage with a screamer which flashed inches over the woodwork five minutes from time.

That long-awaited second goal was imminent, however, and New Zealand were celebrating it following their next attack. Cleverley and Rolston combined to prise open the Papuan defence, and with her first touch since coming on as a substitute, Jasmine Pereira steered the ball past Kunei and into the net via the far post four minutes from time.

In stoppage time, they netted a third goal, but only after Cleverley had gone close to doing so with a twenty-five yarder. This time, Palmer's corner picked out Merrin, whose header was inadvertently turned into her own net by Morris, as PNG's captain attempted to clear off the line.

3-0 was soon confirmed as the final score, much to the undisguised joy and relief of the Junior Ferns' camp, who began celebrating the fact they'll be involved in a draw which also features Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Korea Republic, Mexico, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay and the USA when it takes place in Canada next week.

But they knew they'd been pushed all the way by a Papua New Guinea side which also celebrated this result, one which drew attention to the improvements being made by some of Oceania's nations in their pursuit of the Confederation's women's footballing juggernaut, who will represent the region in the finals of a FIFA women's tournament yet again.

When New Zealand's Junior Ferns do so, in August, expect to see an enhanced squad standing tall on the world stage, with the likes of Katie Bowen, Hannah Carlsen, Emma Fletcher, Megan Lee and Steph Skilton all in contention for selection, an embarrassment of riches which, in the weeks ahead, presents coach Aaron McFarland with that most pleasant of problems to address - who to omit!

Junior Ferns: Alfeld; Bott (booked, 72), Moore, Jensen, Robertson (Merrin, 46); Coombes, Cleverley, Rolston; Puketapu (Pereira, 85), Van Noorden (Dabner, 46), Palmer

Papua N.G.: Kunei; Jessem, Kadu, Obi, Irakau (booked, 47); Kaikas, Morris, Awele (Steven, 75), Gabong (booked, 84) (Tsuga, 88); Gunemba, Niaman

Referee: Robinson Banga (Vanuatu)

In the day's early match, three goals in the last fifteen minutes of the first half inspired Tonga to a 4-0 win over Vanuatu, a victory which clinched a third-placed finish for the victorious side.

Malia Tongia struck on the half-hour and again on the stroke of half-time for the Tongans, Delisa Yeoyer's desperate goal-line clearance denying Tongia another goal in between times.

Unaloto Tahitu'a also scored ten minutes before half-time for the victors, while nine minutes after the interval, Ilisapeti Malekamu netted in fortuitous fashion, the ball ricocheting off her into the net from a Tongia corner.

During the second half, Tonga gave all three goalkeepers in their squad some game-time, but it was first-choice custodian Tangimausia Ma'afu who was smiling broadly post-match, as she was named winner of the Golden Glove award as the tournament's best goalkeeper.

Papua New Guinea striker Meagan Gunemba headed home with the Golden Ball award to her name as the tournament's best player, while the leading markswoman, New Zealand's Emma Rolston, collected the Golden Boot honour on a day Vanuatu's good disciplinary record earned them the Fair Play award.

Project Canada 2014