Denmark put themselves in the box seat to advance to the quarter-finals of the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on 1 November, but in doing so they broke the hearts of the host nation's Young Ferns at North Harbour Stadium. New Zealand were downed 2-1 by the European combination, after enjoying an early lead which had the 11,170-strong crowd hoping that maybe, just maybe, the team which has taken the nation's hearts by storm could perhaps scale heights hitherto unknown in NZ women's football history and win a World Cup Finals fixture. They certainly deserved to win this one. Sadly, it wasn't to be, but by Godfathers, these young women gave everything they had and then some in an effort to realise their footballing dreams. They found themselves on the back foot early on as the Danes, themselves needing to win to take full advantage of the earlier drawn encounter between Canada and Columbia, took up the early running. As early as the second minute, Britta Olsen set sail past four black-clad Kiwis before picking out the unmarked Simone Boye on the right. Annalie Longo cleared her low cross, but the Danish team continued to assert themselves - two long-range efforts in as many minutes from Amanda Hohol and Sofie Junge which flew either side of the posts confirmed their early authority. The Young Ferns rode out the storm, however, and with Longo keen to assume command of the midfield, they began to fight fire with fire. The playmaker played the ball to Hannah Wall in the sixth minute, and the livewire attacker played a neat one-two with Rosie White before running into trouble. The Danes were unable to clear the danger, however, and Longo, looming up in support, suddenly found herself with the chance to open the scoring, although it would need something pretty special from her repertoire. Unfortunately, her first-time shot at full stretch curled just past the far post, but its benefits were soon to bear much fruit. Not before Longo was clattered from behind by Linette Andreasen on half-way, however. Already nursing a calf strain from the Canadian encounter, New Zealand's talisman was soon struggling to put full weight on her ankle, and many feared the worst as she hobbled around the park, clearly hampered by the injury. It prevented her from being able to close down Junge, for instance, who came desperately close to opening the scoring with a thirty-yarder in the twelfth minute. But Longo was still able to support the attack, something which proved highly important two minutes later. Claudia Crasborn chased a lost cause, and managed to secure possession for the Young Ferns just by the corner flag. Steaming up in support was Rebecca Brown - a performance much more in keeping with the standards she has come to expect of herself - who checked inside and delivered a tantalising cross into the danger area. Sarah McLaughlin was outnumbered by Danish defenders on this occasion, and they managed to clear their lines, but only to a point some twenty-five yards out from goal, just where Longo had taken up station. She instantly sent the most deft of chips soaring into the top right-hand corner of Lene Gissel's net … Injury? What injury? Longo was engulfed by her colleagues and the cheers of those present as the Young Ferns took the lead, and her injury woes were but a distant memory within minutes of breaking the deadlock. Denmark were stunned. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, they struggled to come to terms with the situation facing them, as the Young Ferns matched them stride for stride. Two long-range efforts from McLaughlin kept the visitors on their toes in this time, while captain Briony Fisher rose between defenders to power a header into the side-netting following Caitlin Campbell's superb corner to the far post in the 27th minute. Two minutes later, Wall invited McLaughlin to take on the Danish defence coming in off the right flank, which she did with relish before laying the ball off to White, on the edge of the penalty area.

What happened next summed up the Young Ferns' fortunes perfectly. White unleashed an unerring shot which flew past Gissel but crashed against the far post and rebounded straight into the arms of the relieved goalkeeper, who promptly sparked a counter-attack which led to Denmark's equaliser, on the half-hour mark. Boye bullocked down the right flank before working a neat one-two with the superb - again! - Pernille Harder, which enabled the midfielder to get in behind the defence and whip in a low cross to the near post. Speed merchant Andreasen arrived bang on cue to poke the ball home past Victoria Esson - 1-1. The Young Ferns reeled briefly, with Louise Brix going close four minutes later with a shot through the legs of Fisher. It fizzed past the far post, much like New Zealand's captain's header at the other end of the park five minutes before half-time, Campbell's accurate corner delivery again the source of Denmark's consternation. That was to be the corner-taker's last act of note, as she hobbled off soon afterwards with a lower leg injury, the problem clearly evident as she vainly chased after Boye, whose tame shot at goal was grabbed by Esson, an act which brought the first half to a close. The second spell was a terrific affair, which Denmark began strongly. Esson plucked a Hohol corner off the head of Andreasen within seconds of the resumption of play, and was right behind a Junge twenty-yarder five minutes later, after powerful left flank raider Katrine Veje had stretched her legs for the first time of note. In between times, Andreasen had released Boye down the right, allowing her to get in behind Brown and pull the ball back. Instead of opting for Veje, arriving completely unmarked on the far post, she played the ball to Harder, who had to readjust her position and consequently fired wildly over the crossbar. The Young Ferns also went close during these early exchanges, with White pouncing on a midfield mix-up twixt Hohol and Junge to set sail downfield. Wall was steaming up in support outside her, but a one-two with McLaughlin offered the better option - at least, it would have, had White not been crowded out by retreating Danish defenders as she sought to latch onto the return ball. In the 56th minute, Denmark took the lead, and it was a goal the Young Ferns will rue for their collective failure to prevent it. Because when a player runs through from half-way to the edge of the penalty area without a hand being laid on her, a handful of her opponents have failed in their defensive duties. So it was on this occasion. Olsen latched onto a loose ball on half-way, raced past White and set sail downfield, in between the challenges of Wall and Nadia Pearl, around the half-hearted attempt offered by substitute Yumi Nguyen - Campbell's replacement, and on to the edge of the penalty area. Fisher came across to challenge, while Esson advanced off her line to deal with the new threat. But Olsen threaded the needle, picking a gap between the pair of them to rifle the ball through, and duly sending it into the bottom far corner of the net - 2-1 Denmark, and one decidedly crestfallen crowd as a result. As things stood, New Zealand were on their way out. But there was still half-an-hour to retrieve the situation, so they set about doing so with a vengeance. White and Fisher spurned half-chances within ten minutes of the goal, while a forty-five yard free-kick from White stung Gissel's gloves in the 69th minute. The `keeper then grabbed a powerful White header under her crossbar five minutes later, after the striker had been picked out by McLaughlin's corner. This allowed the Danes to mount a by now rare attack of their own, with Line Ostergaard launching the ball downfield for Andreasen to chase. She outpaced Bridgette Armstrong - great game - and ran on to the edge of the penalty area, where, with just Esson to beat, she fired what should have been the shot which put the game well and truly beyond New Zealand's reach. It arrowed narrowly past the post - cue a collective gasp of relief which was clearly audible around the ground.

Back came the Young Ferns, with substitute Jessica Rollings an increasing influence on proceedings. She picked out White on the right, whose gorgeous cross to the far post found Wall and substitute Lauren Murray arriving in an effort to turn it home. The former was better placed, but the latter headed it wide. Murray then sent one curling past the post as New Zealand threw everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents in a desperate onslaught aimed at drawing level. Occasionally, however, they would be caught on the hop by a well-timed counter-attack, such as five minutes from time, when Veje outpaced Fisher down the left and crossed to unmarked substitute Anne Thirup Rudmose. Surely this was the moment when the Young Ferns' dreams would be dashed once and for all. But no! Esson made a magnificent full-length save low to her left to turn the ball round the post and keep her country in the contest. The resulting corner was cleared to Rollings, who rampaged down the right before crossing. Denmark failed to clear it, and White duly let fly, only for her goalbound effort to cannon to safety off the legs of Murray. Cue Rollings again, and another gorgeous cross which had “Finish me!” written all over it. McLaughlin, arriving on the far post, overran this invitation by a couple of strides … Armstrong and Wall combined next, the latter playing the ball wide to McLaughlin, whose hanging cross was headed goalwards by Murray. Gissel smothered this effort, and another from the same player seconds later, after Rollings had skinned Olsen alive with a furious burst of acceleration prior to whipping in a low cross to the near post. Gissel relieved the incessant pressure her goal was under by sending the ball forward to Harder. She brought Thirup Rudmose into play, only for the substitute to cleverly dummy the low cross, knowing full well that Andreasen was lurking behind her. But before she could capitalise, Nguyen stepped in to avert the danger. Back came the Young Ferns, beneficiaries of a stoppage time free-kick which McLaughlin launched deep into the goalmouth. A chaotic goal-line scramble ensued as defenders and attackers alike attempted to get the vital touch on the sphere, which was cleared to the edge of the goal area. Lurking there was White, whose first attempt on goal was blocked. Her second fizzed over the crossbar … did the Young Ferns hopes go with it? There was still time, but the Danes had possession in the form of Veje, who led Nguyen a merry dance down the left en route to the penalty area. The defender nipped back at her talented rival, who, to her eternal credit, kept her feet when she could so easily have gone to ground to earn her country a stonewall penalty, and kill off the contest once and for all. Instead, she earned the Danes a corner, which White cleared downfield to Wall - the last chance now, surely. She powered past the covering defender and whipped in a cross to the near post with which Denmark failed to deal. Murray was there, but just couldn't wrap her foot round the ball as its bounce denied her … Peruvian referee Silvia Reyes blew the final whistle, and to a woman, eleven black-clad giants slumped to the ground in despair, tears flowing freely, their World Cup dreams dashed. Around them, Denmark celebrated a vital yet scarcely deserved victory, their hopes still very much alive … such is the harsh reality of World Cup Finals football. Young Ferns:     Esson; Campbell (Nguyen, 45), Fisher (booked, 28), Armstrong, Brown (Murray, 75); Wall, Longo, White, Pearl, Crasborn (Rollings, 55); McLaughlin Denmark:     Gissel; Brix, Ostergaard, Sigvardsen Jensen, Olsen; Boye (Thirup Rudmose, 63), Junge, Hohol (Madsen, 67), Veje; Harder (Lillelund Michaelsen, 89), Andreasen Referee:     Silvia Peres (Peru)