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Papua New Guinea
Solid Win For SWANZ Sets Up Showdown With Matildas
by Jeremy Ruane
New Zealand's national women's soccer team, the SWANZ, set up a winner-take-all showdown with Australia at the Oceania Football Confederation's Women's World Cup qualifying series in Canberra in two days' time by downing Papua New Guinea 5-0 at the Belconnen Soccer Centre on April 11.
After an early scare - PNG's Neilen Limbai rattled the sidenetting of Yvonne Vale's goal inside the first minute of play, after goalkeeper Roxanne Komeng had thwarted an early SWANZ attack, the Kiwis tore into their opponents, and opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
Zarnia Cogle's measured crossfield pass picked out Nicky Smith's superbly timed run to a nicety, and the tricky striker thundered her shot on the run past Komeng.
Maia Jackman twice went close soon after, volleying just wide and heading narrowly over following good crosses from Hayley Moorwood. But the SWANZ - and, after this game, the tournament's - leading goalscorer wasn't to be denied, and crashed home a twenty-yarder in the twelfth minute, after teaming up with Smith and Priscilla Duncan to prise open the resolute PNG defence.
Three minutes later, Jane Simpson sent a fine ball forward for Moorwood, whom Jackman looped around to receive a slide-rule pass down the line. Her low cross found Smith homing in on the near post, but she steered her shot a foot past the upright.
Three minutes later, the same player pulled a shot well wide of the mark (pictured below), after Simone Ferrara, after battling hard to secure possession, released her team-mate through PNG's offside trap.
 Seconds later, Simpson's ball forward found Ferrara galloping down the right, but her cross was just too far ahead of Jackman, whose gallant effort to make contact with the ball at full stretch saw the sphere fly past the far post.
After Ferrara had directed a twenty yard volley at Komeng, the Papuans caused a real scare in the SWANZ defence, with Vale forced to scamper out of her penalty area to clear off Priscilla Konalalai's toes, after a speedy raid which began when Josephine Waiwai's rock-solid tackle stopped the galloping Cogle dead in her tracks.
A twenty-five yard strike from Simpson hit the stanchion in the 26th minute, before the dynamic Jackman - she had a huge game (she's pictured opposite, crossing) - sent two drives sizzling over the crossbar within seconds of each other.
Komeng turned a Jackman shot onto the post on the half-hour, after Moorwood and Simpson had teamed up on the right, while five minutes later, the same player was again thwarted by the goalkeeper, after linking with Cogle on the left.
Papua gave the SWANZ another scare in the 38th minute, Miriam Lantai's free-kick forcing a corner, from which Limbai lashed a shot high into the sidenetting. This stung the SWANZ into further concerted attacking efforts, Komeng saving a Cogle header after Ferrara and Moorwood had teamed up on the right.
Moorwood, Smith and Cogle all shot over the crossbar in the three minutes before half-time, with the last-mentioned being thwarted by the retreating Wanting Yagum in the last attack of the half, which came about through the efforts of Smith, Moorwood and Duncan - her best game so far this week.
The second half began with a rapier thrust from Jackman, who rammed home the SWANZ third goal of the evening just two minutes into the second half, following a splendid run from deep by Duncan, and a tidy layback by the lively Smith.
This goal allowed the SWANZ to settle down, and they started to produce some very stylish soccer. Jackman hassled Yagum out of possession in the fiftieth minute, with Smith the beneficiary - her curling effort deserved better that to hit the woodwork.
The same player was seething three minutes later, when blatantly pushed over in the penalty area by Nakere Nombe. Australian referee Krystyna Szokolai inexplicably waved play on, but that wasn't her worst non-decision of the evening.
That came after players of both sides stopped playing upon PNG substitute Jocelyn Komeng handling the ball, all present expecting the whistle to be blown for a free-kick. Little wonder the official copped an earful from the SWANZ bench for her inaction - their reaction was well justified.
Ten minutes into the second spell, another neat move by the SWANZ saw Smith and Simpson scythe open PNG's left flank. The latter's cross was made to measure for Jackman, who was homing in on the far post, but Komeng, the goalkeeper, came off the line to deny the striker her third successive hat-trick.
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 Zarnia Cogle
charges down the left
 Hayley Moorwood, headband et al,
whips in a cross
 Maia Jackman
climbing high for a cross
 Nicky Smith unleashes the shot which hit the post
 The Fair Play Trophy,
won by Papua New Guinea
 Simone Ferrara cruising past a Cook Islands defender
 Nicky Smith in full flight against PNG
 Hayley Moorwood lets fly against PNG
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Jackman didn't have long to wait for this milestone, however. In the 58th minute, she started and finished a superb team move, rich in the patient build-up which the SWANZ had all too often failed to apply two days previously against the Cook Islands.
There were no such mistakes this time, as a flowing move was started by Jackman on the left. The ball was spread across to the right flank, where Moorwood rewarded the darting run into space of Ferrara with a measured pass. Her cross to the far post was inch-perfect for Jackman, who arrived bang on cue to send a header bulleting into the net - a superb team goal.
There was no let-up by the SWANZ, who had the bit well and truly between their teeth now. Moorwood headed a Cogle corner at Komeng on the hour, before the goalkeeper pawed Simpson's hanging cross off Jackman's head, Smith volleying a difficult chance from the rebound over the bar.
Komeng then blocked a well-struck drive from substitute Kelly Jarden - her first touch - out of the air, then pawed a Rebecca Smith cross to safety, as the usual suspects - Nicky Smith and Jackman, plus Duncan - homed in on the ball.
The SWANZ went nap in the 68th minute, with Jackman the provider on this occasion. Racing clear down the right, her low cross was pounced on by Duncan, who coolly took her time before slipping the ball wide of the advancing Komeng.
The Kiwis' other substitutes, Wendi Henderson and Michele Keinzley, were next to cause mayhem, teaming up on the right to present the goalscoring Smith with a fine volleyed chance in the seventieth minute. Over the bar the ball flew, as did a similar effort from Duncan a minute later, Jackman the provider once more.
The shooter returned the favour to her team-mate soon after, with Jackman cutting in from the right before drilling a low shot which grazed the outside of the near post.
Komeng was playing the game of her life - why do the island nations' goalkeepers always seem to raise their game when they're playing the SWANZ?! - and proceeded to deny both Henderson and Duncan in separate attacks twelve minutes from time, the latter's headed opportunity engineered by some fine work by Cogle.
Smith then headed a Keinzley cross over the top, before Jackman released Keinzley down the right with a fine pass. The youngster galloped on and let fly, only for Komeng to tip the ball over the bar.
Seconds later, Cogle, Jarden and Smith combined to present the ever-reliable Terry McCahill with a shooting chance, which was deflected for a corner. Cogle's delivery was met by Jackman's head, but once again, Komeng stood firm.
Her clearance sparked a lively Papuan raid which resulted in Vale tipping a Konalalai drive to safety. The resulting corner was headed clear by McCahill to Smith, who sent Keinzley scampering clear from half-way. The speedster's shot screamed over the crossbar, however - she should have done better with just the 'keeper to beat.
 Four minutes from time, Duncan's battling earned possession for Jackman, whose driving run took her deep into PNG's penalty area. Cogle was perfectly placed to steer home her low cross, but Smith nipped in ahead of her team-mate, and promptly prodded the ball past the post - the look of dismay on Cogle's face, as she saw her first international goal going begging, said it all.
Komeng was determined to restrict the SWANZ to a 5-0 win, and succeeded in her ambitions, denying Keinzley, Jackman and Smith in stoppage time. But the Kiwis' victory, while marred by a late injury to defender Melanie Edwards, was enough to set up a mouth-watering encounter with their arch-rivals, Australia, on Sunday, with the little matter of a place at the Women's World Cup Finals in China awaiting the winners.
SWANZ coach, Sandy Davie, was pleased with some aspects of his charges' performance. "We played some good stuff tonight, but our finishing, at times, was pitiful - we're missing far more than we're scoring, something we can't afford to do against Australia. That said, Papua's goalkeeper pulled off a few saves she had no right to make.
"Terry McCahill was solid once again, but Maia Jackman played really well tonight. She was strong, full of running, good movement, finishing - in short, playing like she should be".
SWANZ: Vale; Simpson, McCahill, Edwards, R. Smith (Jarden, 65); Moorwood (Keinzley, 65), Duncan, Ferrara (Henderson, 58), Cogle; N. Smith, Jackman
PNG: R. Komeng; Waiwai (J. Komeng, 46), Yagum, Nombe, Michael; Alau, Kig (Banabas, 46), Lanta, Matthies; Konalalai, Limbai
Referee: Krystyna Szokolai (Australia)
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