Spain handed the Young Ferns a footballing lesson at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Ayma in Tibas, Costa Rica, on March 19, prevailing 3-0 in their FIFA U-17 World Cup Finals encounter, a scoreline which greatly flattered the Kiwi team. Had Spain's shooting matched the precision and quality of their approach play, the European side could well have won by double figures in this Group C encounter, a feat Japan achieved when trouncing Paraguay 10-0 in the later game at the venue. The Spanish got off to the perfect start in front of 2,364 fans, opening the scoring just 155 seconds into the match. Andrea Falcon, who was a menace throughout the match, spread the ball across to Pilar Garrote, who set off on a run before bringing Laura Dominguez into play. She checked inside before picking out Sandra Hernandez with a measured pass which found the midfielder just inside the penalty area. Her first touch produced instant control of the ball, while the second sent the sphere sizzling unerringly between Emma Fulbrook and her near post from fifteen yards - a cracking goal! Five minutes later, Falcon's pressure forced Sophie Stewart-Hobbs to gift possession to Hernandez, who instantly picked out the lively Nahikari Garcia in between defenders. The striker's low twenty-yarder fizzed narrowly past Fulbrook's right-hand post. After Falcon had stung the gloves of the Young Ferns' 'keeper upon working a short corner with Dominguez, Fulbrook produced a fine fingertip save to keep out Patri Guijarro's dipping thirty-yarder, on the half-hour. The custodian promptly spilled Falcon's corner, but no-one in a red shirt was on hand to take advantage. More mesmerising work by Falcon followed two minutes later, as Stewart-Hobbs was run ragged once more. But for a fortunate deflection off Hope Gilchrist, Falcon's cross would have been turned home by Garcia, who was poised to strike until the defender's intervention. Fulbrook smothered a twenty-five yarder from Hernandez soon afterwards, but could do nothing to prevent Spain from doubling their advantage in the 34th minute with a superbly worked goal. Possession is their forte, and a string of passes preceded the moment when Dominguez latched onto the ball, and promptly steered it inside to Garrote. Without breaking stride, she unleashed an unerring twenty-five yarder which careered past Fulbrook and in off the far post - 2-0. Spain's play had been mesmerising, and they were toying with New Zealand, whose ventures into the opposition's half of the pitch were rare indeed. Right on half-time, the Spaniards produced yet another devastating display of passing and movement deserving of better reward than that which befell it. Dominguez sparked things off, her jinking run culminating in a pass to Hernandez. Garcia and Guijarro swiftly became involved, and it was their one-two near the edge of the penalty area which allowed the latter to wriggle through three challenges before drilling a shot straight at Fullerton. The second half was a continuation of the first - all Spain. Liz Anton's vital 51st minute challenge prevented Garcia from adding the icing to a thirty yard driving run following her receipt of a pass from Guijarro.

Seven minutes later, Hernandez hit the crossbar with a terrific free-kick from wide on the left, the signal for Spain to unleash their firepower upon Fulbrook's goal. Half-time substitute Geena Gross' intervention prevented Falcon from scoring what would have been a magnificent solo goal in the 61st minute, the winger weaving her way through six challenges before Gross' timely tackle spared the Young Ferns' blushes. After Garrote and substitute Angeles Carrion - with her first touch - had gone close to increasing Spain's advantage, they did so in the 67th minute, brilliantly. Garcia started and finished a move which also featured Falcon and Carrion, the ball a blur as Garcia let fly from the edge of the penalty area, so much so that Fulbrook didn't even move. Cue another flurry of scoring opportunities deserving of better fate. Dominguez let rip with a twenty yarder which flew narrowly past the near angle of post and crossbar, before a brilliant move twenty minutes from time saw Guijarro pick out Dominguez, who held the ball up well before producing a delightful lobbed pass over the heads of the defenders and into the stride of Garcia. Had she volleyed the ball either side of Fulbrook, the goal this move richly merited would have resulted. But she steered it straight at the 'keeper, the first of a trio of saves Fulbrook was to make in the next five minutes, Falcon and Dominguez the frustrated players. New Zealand's 'keeper produced a fine diving save to her right to deny Dominguez twelve minutes from time, after which Spain eased off the throttle a tad, allowing the Young Ferns the chance to at least grab a consolation goal from a match in which they were well outclassed. Amazingly, they were given the perfect chance to do so three minutes from time, when Togo referee Aissata Amegee wrongly deemed Garrote had fouled Paige Satchell in the area, after Spain had failed to clear Gilchrist's free-kick from half-way. Issy Coombes was presented with the chance to score from the penalty spot, but, remarkably, she contrived to hit the post - her despair upon doing so was there for all to see, poor lass. Spanish 'keeper Elena De Toro raced swiftly off her line to prevent Ashley Arquette's through ball from reaching Young Ferns captain Martine Puketapu, as the skipper looked to make a difference on the scoreboard, while Fulbrook was right behind a thumping Falcon drive in stoppage time, as the victors sought goal number four. 3-0 was Spain's lot, however, a win which puts their campaign to reach the last sixteen back on track. They need only avoid defeat in their final group game, against Paraguay, to progress to the last sixteen. For the Young Ferns, however, their hopes of progress look forlorn. They take on Japan at Costa Rica's national stadium in San Jose from noon on Monday, NZ time, a team to whom they lost 5-0 at the NTC Invitational Tournament in Carson, California, just six weeks ago. Spain:          De Toro; N. Garrote (booked, 5) (Carrion, 65), Merida, Galvez, Beltran (Menayo, 70); Hernandez, Guijarro, P. Garrote (booked, 86); Dominguez, Garcia (Ortega, 77), Falcon Young Ferns:     Fulbrook; Stewart-Hobbs (Gross, 46), Gilchrist, Anton (booked, 57), Morton; Coombes, Cleverley, Richards (Hepburn, 70); Puketapu, Parris (Arquette, 85), Satchell Referee:     Aissata Amegee (Togo)