New Zealand's Young Ferns clinched the OFC U-16 Women's Championship for a sixth time at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on 21 September, but they were made to work hard for their 4-0 win by a dogged Samoa side which, like their opponents, went into the tournament final having not conceded a goal. Indeed, Juan Chang Urrea's team came to play, taking the game to New Zealand, not something which usually happens when the Kiwis take on their Pacific Islands rivals. But while Samoa enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, they failed to test Harriet Muller, and the Young Ferns gradually began to impose their will on proceedings. They were greatly aided in this regard by scoring the opening goal in the nineteenth minute. A Grace Duncan free-kick wasn't cleared, and successive headers by Kara McGillivray and the tigerish Mikaela Bangalan - she got through a truckload of work in midfield - presented Katie Pugh with the chance to volley home from twelve yards, despite the fact she was surrounded by five defenders. Samoa didn't shirk the challenge this posed them, nor did they lie down and die in the face of New Zealand's pressure - anything but! But while they were revelling in the physical nature of the contest, they were undoing a lot of their good work by playing the ball downfield to no one in particular, which gave the Young Ferns the opportunity to generate chances of their own. Such as that in the 36th minute, the next time they threatened Samoa's goal. Pia Vlok, on one of the rare occasions she wasn't surrounded by three opponents when in possession, delivered a lovely cross to the far post which was misjudged by Ayres Ava. Laura Bennett pounced, only to be denied by Margaret Tuii's block at her near post. Mia Afoa scrambled the ball to safety on this occasion, but with the very last kick of the half, Samoa were dealt a near-fatal blow to their hopes of ending New Zealand's reign as Oceania champions of women's football at U-16/17 level. Vlok won the ball on halfway and fed Bennett, who brought Pugh into play. The striker laid the ball back into the stride of Vlok, racing up in support, and she instantly sized up the situation before executing an inch-perfect twenty-five yard chip over the head of Tuii and into the corner of the net - 2-0 New Zealand, who were just forty-five minutes away from retaining their crown. Samoa came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half, and came desperately close to halving the deficit on three occasions inside the first minutes of play. Taylah Byers - far from her best performance - gifted possession to Holly Leapai, who played the ball in behind the defender for Brielle Tautua. Muller dashed out to save at her feet, then saved a shot from Tautua, who came within inches of turning home a Leapai cross as the ball zoomed across the six-yard box in the fiftieth minute, the opening having been created by the well-performed Taimane Devoux. The goal which killed off Samoa's hopes came in the 56th minute, and was very much against the run of play. Bangalan won the ball halfway inside

Samoa's half of the pitch, powered forward then slipped a pass into the stride of Vlok. She turned one defender, then found three in close attendance inside the penalty area. But the tournament's Golden Ball winner used their presence to her advantage, as she fired a shot through them and across the unsighted Tuii into the far corner of the net - 3-0. To their eternal credit, Samoa kept on coming, despite the deficit. Holly Robins gifted the ball to Tautua two minutes after the third goal, and the striker was so surprised that she promptly gave it back to the defender! Muller was twice called upon soon after to deny both substitute Jayde Sagapolutele and free-kick specialist Lynn Sagiao, while in between times, Simone Blood was fortunate to avoid a card for a clear foul on the charging figure of Vlok just outside the penalty area, an offence which the match officials didn't even call! (No wonder there was no card issued!) Twenty minutes from time, Duncan and Bennett worked a one-two on the right which saw the former scoot clear before delivering a low cross into the penalty area. Both Piper O'Neill and Bennett were thwarted by Samoa's resolute defensive efforts. After Cali Willis had been gifted possession by Robins, and promptly stung the gloves of Muller from long-range, Bennett went close to increasing the Young Ferns' winning margin seven minutes from time, only to shoot tamely at Golden Gloves winner Tuii on receipt of Heidi Draai's cross. Two minutes later, lively substitute Kya Solomon wriggled through four challenges before shooting across the face of goal, then took on all-comers once more as stoppage time approached, this time drawing a smothering save from Tuii. The Young Ferns iced the cake in the added minutes. Duncan won a battle for the ball with Mikayla Afoa and surged forward before playing in Bennett with just Tuii to beat. The striker rolled the ball into the corner of the net, and in doing so secured the Golden Boot, this being her sixth goal of the tournament. Duncan came close to joining her in the remaining minutes, rifling a shot narrowly past the post following an indirect free-kick awarded for a pass-back offence, but with the scoreboard showing 4-0 in their favour come the final whistle, the Young Ferns swiftly slipped into celebration mode as they claimed the silverware at the expense of a Samoa side which will join them in Morocco next year, when two teams will represent Oceania at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals for the first time ever. Samoa:          Tuii; Ava (Taeoalii, 67), Mia Afoa (booked, 61), Kitiona, Blood (Skeers, 80); Devoux (Willis, 67), Sagiao (booked, 79), Atuaia, Nansen (Mikayla Afoa, 46); Tautua, Leapai (Sagapolutele, 55) Young Ferns:      Muller; Draai, Byers, Robins, McGillivray; Vlok (Avery, 64), Bangalan, Young (O'Neill, 46); Duncan, Pugh (Solomon, 46), Bennett Referee:     Torika Delai (Fiji)