Reigning FIFA Women's World Cup holders Japan edged the Football Ferns 1-0 at the Marugame Stadium in Kagawa on May 24, but only thanks to New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson missing a penalty early in the second half. Tony Readings' side would have been well worthy of a share of the spoils had that effort gone in, for they matched the world champions stride for stride throughout a closely fought contest in which the Football Ferns made the brighter start. Sarah Gregorius' driving thirty yard run through the heart of Japan's midfield gave Football Ferns' fans cause aplenty for optimism in the sixth minute, and when Annalie Longo repeated the feat five minutes later - throwing in a neat one-two with Gregorius in the process, it took her into Nadeshiko's penalty area. Sadly for the visitors, she lashed her shot straight at giant Japanese goalkeeper Erina Yamane, whose height is such that she towers over her traditionally diminutive team-mates, a sight best illustrated during the pre-match line-up activities. That shot served as a wake-up call for Japan, who stepped up the pressure and forced a few corners over the course of the next fifteen minutes as they responded to the Football Ferns' eye-catching beginning. From one of those corners, Nadeshiko took the lead. Aya Miyama's pinpoint delivery found the ball arcing into the heart of the goalmouth in the 23rd minute, and arriving to meet it on cue was Homare Sawa, who darted between defenders to thump home an unstoppable six yard volley and break the deadlock. Japan twice came close to doubling their advantage before the half-hour mark, both opportunities arising from defensive blunders. Rebekah Stott's impetuous attempt to execute a sliding tackle on Yuki Ogimi saw the defender career on past the striker, who played the ball wide to Miyawa. Nadeshiko's captain promptly delivered an angled first-time cross which just cleared the head of Kozue Ando before flashing across the bows of incoming midfielder Yuri Kawamura, as she looked to turn the ball home by the far post in the 28th minute. Seconds later, it was Katie Bowen's turn to err. Standing in for Ali Riley, she was caught in possession by Ogimi, who instantly lashed a twenty-five yarder narrowly past Erin Nayler's left-hand post. The Football Ferns' response came via a Ria Percival free-kick in the 31st minute, which was cleared to Gregorius. The AS Elfen Saitama star launched into a twenty yard bicycle kick which Yamane grabbed greedily. Further Japanese pressure followed, the bulk of it stemming from the left flank, where Miyama and overlapping fullback Aya Sameshima were marauding with menace. The captain pinged over a corner which Ogimi flicked on in the 34th minute - no-one was coming in on the far post. The left flank duo combined beautifully five minutes later, Sameshima getting past Percival to the by-line, from where her cross arced across goal, just out of reach out of all-comers. Back came the visitors, Gregorius leading the charge on the left before linking with Longo, who danced through a couple of challenges before combining with Amber Hearn. The striker, whose first appearance at the forthcoming FIFA Women's World Cup Finals will be her one hundredth "A" international for New Zealand, laid the ball off to Betsy Hassett, who jinked past a couple of opponents before unleashing a shot which deflected for a corner.

Percival's delivery of same, deep to the far post, caused Japan all sorts of problems, as did Stott's smart turn and low cross following the initial clearance. Hints of a handball offence prompted penalty appeals by Football Ferns players in the immediate vicinity, but to no avail. On the stroke of half-time, a fine piece of skill by Bowen saw her turn out of trouble then tear down the left before releasing Gregorius ahead of her. A harsh offside call curtailed that raid, the final act of note in an enterprising half of football, the tone of which continued throughout the second spell, albeit without as much goalmouth incident. The second half was three minutes old when the Football Ferns were handed a glorious chance to level the scores from the penalty spot. Bowen's ball forward was flicked on by Hearn for Wilkinson, who got goal-side of Saki Kumagai and was promptly hauled back on the edge of the penalty area. The striker went down inside the box, and the referee, despite being well behind play, instantly pointed to the penalty spot. Wilkinson undertook the task of converting the opportunity, which she did in a style remarkably similar to that of her namesake, former England rugby goal-kicker Jonny Wilkinson. The vast majority of his penalty kicks cleared the crossbar, and, sadly for the Football Ferns striker, her attempt followed suit on this occasion, ensuring Japan retained their one-goal advantage. They only preserved it ten minutes later courtesy a superb goal-line clearance by Azusa Iwashimizu. Yamane came and missed Percival's well-flighted free-kick, Abby Erceg - complete with her unmissable orange hair-do - beating the 'keeper in the air and flicking the ball on towards Hearn. She directed a looping header at the target from ten yards, and it looked a goal for all money until the recovering figure of Iwashimizu spared Nadeshiko's blushes, to the delight of the local supporters in the 30,099-capacity stadium. Hearn, the ever-lively Hassett and Longo linked on the left three minutes later to send Wilkinson spearing through, but a superbly timed tackle by Sameshima put paid to the striker's hopes of redeeming herself for her penalty miss on this occasion. Wilkinson was to be denied a similar opportunity in similar fashion fifteen minutes from time, Bowen's industry engineering the opening. Kumagai stepped in with the timely tackle on this occasion, while Wilkinson then stung the gloves of Yamane with a twenty-yarder moments later. These efforts followed a Japanese raid which was led by Miyama, her teasing cross-shot forcing half-time substitute Shinobu Ohno to execute an awkward headed attempt in vain. That counter-attacking threat remained for the Football Ferns to deal with, something which Stott, in particular, did with aplomb as the visitors pressed for an equaliser in the dying minutes. Jasmine Pereira and Rosie White were thrown into the mix as the Kiwis sought the elusive leveller, but come the final whistle, Japan had prevailed once more, the fourth odd-goal victory they have achieved over the Football Ferns in the last six encounters between the teams, dating back to the Olympic Games clash in Qinhuangdao in 2008. Japan:          Yamane; Kinga, Iwashimizu, Kumagai, Sameshima; Kawasumi (Ohno, 46); Sawa, Kawamura (Utsugi, 66), Miyama; Ogimi, Ando (Sugasawa, 61) Football Ferns:     Nayler; Percival (booked, 90), Stott, Erceg, Bowen; Hassett, Duncan, Hearn, Longo; Wilkinson (White, 80), Gregorius (Pereira, 60)