Scotland Maintain Winning Edge Over Football Ferns by Jeremy Ruane A goal in each half earned Scotland a 2-0 win over a rusty Football Ferns team at a drizzle-bound Pinatar Arena in Spain on March 4, as Andreas Heraf made his debut as coach of New Zealand's shop window representative side. Ranked nineteenth in the world, four places higher than their opponents, the Ferns made just one change to the starting line-up which trounced Thailand 5-0 three months ago, welcoming back Sarah Gregorius to the fold after her twelve-month hiatus from the international stage. Also making a welcome return to the international fold was former captain Abby Erceg, who looked on from the bench throughout proceedings as her countrywomen found themselves up against it from the off against a Scottish side which is using this two-match international series as preparation for upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying fixtures. Scotland were in the ascendancy from the first whistle against opponents whom they edged by the odd goal in five at the Cyprus Cup a year ago. Sophie Howard went close following an early corner, before Erin Cuthbert stung the gloves of Erin Nayler on the quarter-hour, the first of a number of saves the Girondins Bordeaux-based 'keeper was forced to produce throughout proceedings. Christie Murray and Jane Ross both threatened around the half-hour mark, and it was the latter who opened the scoring in the 34th minute, rifling home the rebound at the second attempt after Nayler had parried her initial effort. New Zealand's number one made a flying save to her left five minutes before half-time to deny Claire Emslie in a half in which Amber Hearn's long-range attempt was the best the Football Ferns could muster against their more battle-hardened opponents. Soon after the resumption of play, Lisa Evans went close with a header for the Scots, for whom Liverpool winger Caroline Weir slammed a long-range effort against the crossbar in the 62nd minute. Five minutes later, the Football Ferns replied in kind, half-time substitute Anna Green's shot from the edge of the area cannoning off the crossbar after Gregorius' ball forward, following Olivia Chance's cleared corner, had been expertly controlled by Hearn, who set up the fullback perfectly. Seven minutes later, New Zealand's most prolific markswoman was herself denied by the woodwork, Scotland goalkeeper Lee Alexander knowing little about Hearn's shot as it ricocheted off her onto the post. Scotland cleared their lines, and with twelve minutes remaining, pounced on a defensive blunder when a defensive mix-up was pounced on by Cuthbert, who lured Nayler out of goal before setting up Evans for the clincher. On the occasion of Katie Bowen's fiftieth cap, the Football Ferns sought to pull a goal back in the last ten minutes, throwing Katie Rood into the mix in their pursuit of a late comeback. But the Scots kept them at arm's length to square the ledger against the Football Ferns, who won the first two encounters between these countries early in the decade. The teams square off again at the same venue from 11pm on Tuesday, NZ time, with coach Heraf having gleaned plenty from his first official match in charge of the side, having been in charge in a caretaker capacity when the Thailand tour was undertaken in late November. Scotland:     Alexander; Arthur, Howard, Beattie (Corsie, 74), Lauder; Evans, Weir, Ross, Murray, Emslie (Brown, 74); Cuthbert (Ness, 86) F'ball Ferns:     Nayler; Bott (Anton, 46), Moore, Stott, Riley; Longo (Wilkinson, 46), Percival, Bowen (Green, 46); Gregorius (Rood, , Hearn, Chance (booked, 19)

Ferns Fall To Scotland Again by Jeremy Ruane Just as they did 54 hours earlier, Scotland recorded a 2-0 win over the Football Ferns at the Pinatar Arena in sunny Spain on March 6, goals in the dying minutes of the first half and the early stages of the second proving suffice to see off Oceania's champions. The Scots began brightly, a wayward Abby Erceg pass - her first match for her country since last year's 3-2 loss to Scotland at the Cyprus Cup - culminating in Kirsty Smith's fourth minute shot cannoning to safety off the covering Meikayla Moore. The Football Ferns weathered this early storm, then came back strongly, the tactical changes they had made from the opening game proving effective in the sunshine. A succession of Ria Percival corners caused Scotland problems, one of which saw Anna Green lash one narrowly over the bar from twenty-five yards. New Zealand's best chance of this period came in the 26th minute, when Olivia Chance's tackle in midfield allowed Ria Percival to take charge of the ball. Instantly, captain Ali Riley raced through the middle in support of her fellow long-time Football Ferns fullback. Both Percival and Riley were employed in more attack-oriented positions in this match, and the former's pass sent the latter surging through on goal with just Lee Alexander to beat. Unfortunately for Riley, the 'keeper's outstretched leg thwarted her attempt from ten yards. Scotland responded via a disallowed goal six minutes later - a foul in the build-up foiled them on this occasion, but there was no such luck for the Football Ferns four minutes before half-time. Caroline Weir swept the ball wide to Fiona Brown, whose angled cross from the right found Jane Ross nipping in between Erceg and Moore to deftly flick the ball across Erin Nayler and in by the far post. The second half was just three minutes old when Weir spread play wide to Brown once again, this time on the left. The marauding flank player duly took on and beat Rebekah Stott, then avoided Katie Bowen's lunging tackle as she fired the ball across Nayler and in by the far post - 2-0. Five  minutes later, Scottish captain Hayley Lauder pinged one over the top which allowed Erin Cuthbert to outpace the defence. Nayler pulled off a fine one-on-one save to deny the Scots a third goal, however. They had already done the damage, however, and while the Football Ferns introduced plenty of attacking firepower off the bench in the second spell, including a late debut for Emma Rolston, they were unable to find a way back into the contest. Birthday girl Victoria Esson was also given the best possible present, in the form of her second cap as a late substitute, but only after debutant substitute Abbi Grant went close to crowning her first appearance for her country with a goal six minutes from time. Scotland's 2-0 win, both scoreline-wise and in terms of the two-match series, leaves them well placed ahead of next month's FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying encounters against Switzerland and Poland. These were their first wins of a year in which the Scots have already played twice, during the January international window. They also have two games set down in June, and a further brace of internationals set down for the first week in September. How the Football Ferns would love to have such an itinerary! The only matches they are certain of this year are during the Oceania qualifying tournament, which takes place between 17 November and 4 December. New coach Andreas Heraf will have learnt a lot about his team from this tour, one in which Gregorius, Percival and Hearn - who is four goals shy of netting 300 in her career - were singled out for praise by assistant coach Gareth Turnbull post-match. The absence through injury of the effervescent Betsy Hassett and the dynamic Rosie White was certainly felt by the squad, whose collective sluggishness in the first match of a tour was evident yet again. Given the infrequency with which they're able to gather as a team from far and wide, it's a shortcoming which each player in the squad will have to work hard on overcoming, because that initial sluggishness - while players take a game to re-familiarise themselves with each other's playing strengths after so long apart - has tended to set the tone of tours over the last four years, if not longer. This one was no different, and while there was improvement in the second game, it pales in comparison with the potential this squad boasts. Fully realising it, and harnessing it so that it is consistently fulfilled, is a challenge which will test Heraf's coaching mettle, and at the same time give the recent arrival to New Zealand the chance to win over the country's ever-sceptical footballing public by deeds, not just rhetoric. Scotland:     Alexander (Lynn, 46); Smith, Howard, Corsie, Lauder; Ross, Murray (Love, 46), Evans (Emslie, 66), Weir, Brown (Grant, 82); Cuthbert (Ness, 59) F'ball Ferns:     Nayler (Esson, 85); Moore, Stott, Erceg, Green (Rood, 46); Bowen (Longo, 70), Percival, Riley; Gregorius, Hearn (Rolston, 89), Chance (Skilton, 59)