A magnificent hat-trick from Young Ferns striker Rosie White fired New Zealand to a 3-1 victory over Columbia at Wellington Stadium on 4 November, as the host nation bowed out of the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals on a stylish winning note. The result marks New Zealand's first-ever victory at a Women's World Cup Finals, and only the country's second on the ultimate world stage, following the Junior All Whites' 2-1 defeat of Poland at North Harbour Stadium during NZ `99. It's also the first hat-trick by a New Zealand international since Chris James' treble for the Youth All Whites against Vanuatu in the Oceania U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Auckland in January 2007. The Young Ferns survived a let-off just two minutes into the match, when Yorely Rincon played Tatiana Ariza in on the right, behind Yumi Nguyen. She whipped in a cross to the far post for Ingrid Vidal who, with the goal at her mercy, somehow contrived to miss the target completely. Back came the Kiwis, Nguyen making amends for her earlier blemish with a great ball down the left to release Hannah Wall. She whipped in a cross to Sarah McLaughlin, who shrugged off a defender's attentions before lashing a shot goalwards. It was blocked, and Rosie White was unable to turn home the rebound. Five minutes later, a teasing Rebecca Brown cross found Wall darting in behind the Columbian rearguard. She just failed to make contact, which prompted the South Americans - who needed to win this match, remember - to redouble their efforts in search of the game's opening goal. In the seventeenth minute, Vidal played the ball wide to Ariza, who galloped into the open spaces before letting fly. Victoria Esson produced a super save to turn this effort round the post, then was relieved to see the offside flag held aloft after some splendid close-control from Rincon had bewildered four Young Ferns defenders inside the penalty area. After White had seen a long-range free-kick deflect off the defensive wall to Stefany Castano, the Young Ferns came desperately close to breaking the deadlock. Annalie Longo played McLaughlin through, and she burst clear of the defence before finding herself one-on-one with Columbia's goalkeeper. Castano stood her ground well and saved with her legs as McLaughlin tried to slot the ball beyond her. The danger wasn't over for the Columbians, however, as their partial clearance invited the Young Ferns to try again, this time via Wall down the left. Her low cross, intended for White, was deflected to safety by Natalia Gaitan. Esson then produced a couple of outstanding saves to keep the scores level. Rincon played Liana Salazar through the offside trap with a superbly weighted pass, but the midfielder met her match in the Kiwi `keeper, who raced out swiftly to thwart this 27th minute attack. Two minutes later, Esson battered away a shot on the run from Gaby Santos, before smothering a

Salazar shot seconds later, as the Columbians  turned up the heat in cold and windy Wellington. The South Americans didn't aid their cause, however, when it came to the offside trap. They invariably fell foul of it, as Briony Fisher and Bridgette Armstrong marshalled things soundly at the heart of the Young Ferns' rearguard. On the stroke of half-time, the Young Ferns opened the scoring, much to the delight of all-comers present, and the thousands more watching around the nation on Sky TV. Brown played the ball to Longo, whose slide-rule pass invited White to exploit the space in behind Columbia's rearguard. She scampered clear, then unleashed a ferocious drive which beat Castano all ends up at her near post - a super goal, one which thrilled the 3546-strong crowd no end, particularly given the soaking they were copping on a rotten wind-blown night in New Zealand's capital city. It was a blow from which Columbia never recovered, and one which the Young Ferns looked to build upon right from the start of the second half. Longo and Wall, with a measured cross, set up McLaughlin in the 47th minute, but her lazy finish was very much out of character. Jessica Rollings had endured a torrid time of things in the first half, but caused any amount of problems in the second spell as the Columbians reeled under the Young Ferns' attacking onslaught. In the 49th minute, she whipped in a wicked cross which Castano did well to hang onto - any spillage in the slippery conditions, and White was hovering. A minute later, the winger had the ball in the net. Longo sent White racing through the offside trap, and she powered on before shooting. This time, Castano could only parry the effort, and Rollings, following in, rammed the ball home. 2-0 up, and … “You are kidding me, referee! That was never offside!!” The Young Ferns' celebrations were cut short by the sight of a raised flag on the far side of the pitch, which indicated that White had been offside when Longo played the ball through. Replays clearly suggested the officials got this one well wrong! After White had thrashed a twenty-five yard free-kick over the bar, Columbia fired a warning shot across New Zealand's bows in the 54th minute. Salazar played the ball wide to Santos, who gave Brown the runaround before picking out Rincon. Her fifteen yarder fizzed past the far post. Lauren Mathis joined the fray soon after this effort - one of three New Zealand substitutes to make their World Cup debuts in this match - and was swiftly involved in proceedings. A slick one-two with Wall was followed by a pass to Rollings, whose lay-off to White culminated in the striker taking the ball on before letting fly from twenty-five yards. Castano tipped her shot round the post. On the hour, Mathis was played through by Longo, but her early shot lacked the conviction to beat Castano. Unlike that of Longo herself four minutes later, after the midfielder had shrugged off the challenges of four players. Castano saved this effort well.

After Wall had thrashed a shot through a crowded penalty area which took a wicked deflection following a Rollings corner, the Columbians began to press for an equaliser, knowing full well that they needed victory to have a chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. Fifteen minutes from time, Santos shot early but wide of the target, an effort she followed up five minutes later on receipt of a Rincon corner. Fisher was calmness personified as she blocked the effort then steered it to safety. It sparked a counter-attack which came to nought, but the resulting goal-kick was one Gaitan won't be adding to her highlights video, make no mistake. She sent the ball straight to White, some twenty-five yards out from goal. The striker controlled the sphere, settled herself, then thumped it home left-footed from twenty yards. 2-0 with nine minutes remaining almost instantly became 2-1 with eight minutes to go. Straight from the kick-off, and with the Young Ferns still in celebratory mood, Alejandra Quintero launched the ball downfield, and Vidal and Ariza raced after it. The pair found themselves clear of the Kiwi defence, with Esson their only obstacle. The `keeper's hesitance was understandable, but the Columbian duo took full advantage, Vidal slipping the ball to Ariza who prodded it home as a couple of Young Ferns defenders belatedly appeared on the scene. Suddenly the alarm bells were ringing, as a poor Armstrong clearance in the 85th minute emphasised. Rincon was the beneficiary, and sent a twenty-five yard drive flashing past Esson's near post. Two minutes from time, and a hefty clearance downfield forced the Columbians onto the back foot once more. The tenacious Wall chased after it, and her dogged pursuit of a lost cause paid dividends, as she eventually forced a mistake from Gaitan near the edge of the penalty area. Wall instantly swung in an inviting cross into the goalmouth, and racing in to meet it was White, who executed a textbook header from eight yards out to complete the “perfect” hat-trick - right foot, left foot, header. Her effort put the Young Ferns into an unassailable 3-1 lead, and it was so nearly 4-1 in stoppage time. Again, White was the scourge of Columbia's defence, hammering a long-range free-kick towards the target. Castano touched this effort round the post, but New Zealand were already celebrating a famous victory, the country's first in FIFA Women's World Cup Finals tournaments. And a richly deserved one it was, too. New Zealand:     Esson; Brown, Fisher, Armstrong, Nguyen (Fullerton, 74); Rollings (Bowen, 78), Longo, Pearl, Wall; McLaughlin (Mathis, 55), White Columbia:     Castano; Taborda, Gaitan, Salazar, Mendez (Hernandez, 60); Ariza, Aponte (Quintero, 66), Rincon, Santos; Sanchez (Montoya, 84), Vidal (booked, 32) Referee:     Etsuko Fukano (Japan)