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Fiji
Percival's Record Marked By Ten-Goal Salute
by Jeremy Ruane
New Zealand's Football Ferns marked the record 133rd appearance of Ria Percival in the team by romping to a 10-0 victory over Fiji in their OFC Women's Nations Cup encounter at Noumea's Stade Numa Daly on 25 November, a result which clinched first place in the group for Tom Sermanni's charges and a semi-final against host nation New Caledonia in three days' time.
The black-clad Ferns were swiftly into their stride against a nation they've only played twice previously, with Sarah Gregorius thrashing a shot narrowly over the bar in the fourth minute after Sarah Morton, Annalie Longo and Katie Rood had prised open Fiji's overly defensive rearguard.
Four minutes later, Longo opened the scoring, rifling home from ten yards to cap off a lovely move ignited by Meikayla Moore's splendid ball wide to Anna Green. She threaded a pass through to Rosie White, who got to the by-line before angling the ball back to Morton, who touched it inside for Longo to move into her country's top ten all-time leading goalscorers' list.
Betsy Hassett and Green both went close to doubling New Zealand's tally before Gregorius did just that in the sixteenth minute, tapping in after a defensive blunder had come about following the combination play of Morton and Rood on the right.
Fijian goalkeeper Anaseina Maucuna had her hands full dealing with everything the Football Ferns could throw at her over the next few minutes, saving once from White and twice from Rood while looking on as White lashed a shot over the bar after a first-time drive from Longo had been blocked by a defender.
A third goal was inevitable, however, and materialised in the 24th minute. Morton's pressure on the right forced an error which Rood swiftly turned into a chance for Gregorius, one she converted in composed fashion.
Fiji's defence, primarily through their massed ranks, was presenting the Kiwis with plenty of problems, but when they found a way through, profligacy was the champions' enemy, with a number of opportunities squandered due in part to poor technique.
Many an opportunity went begging because players were leaning back when shooting, resulting in the ball clearing the frame of the goal. Other openings were deserving of better fate - Rood's dipping volley in the 32nd minute; White's whiplash header from a pinpoint Gregorius cross five minutes later; a shot from Gregorius, following Green's gorgeously weighted ball, which Maucuna smothered in between times.
The pressure was relentless, however, and goal number four duly came about as a result in the 38th minute. Rood rampaged past two down the left before crossing to White, whose shot was blocked. Not so Longo's effort from the rebound, an unerring drive which gave Maucuna no chance as it careered through a forest of legs into the net.
Three minutes before half-time, Gregorius directed a glancing header inches past the far post after Hassett, Percival, Morton and Rood tore Fiji's left flank wide open with some rapier-like passing and movement.
Grace Jale was introduced for Longo at half-time - a special occasion for the substitute, as Fiji is the land of her ancestry. But Percival's milestone occasion was marred a touch by the sight of the offside flag denying her a goal in the 47th minute.
There was no respite for the Fijians, with White desperate to get in on the act goals-wise. Her superb 48th minute diving header deserved better fate than to be kept out by Maucuna.
After Gregorius got greedy - blazing wide at the
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near post when three team-mates were racing in anticipating a buffet ball - and Percival's long-range thunderbolt ricocheted off a defender for a corner, White's 54th minute delivery picked out the head of Meikayla Moore - her towering ten yard header gave Maucuna no chance.
After the goalkeeper had frustrated Rood at the sharp end of a slick move involving Hassett, White and Green, the Football Ferns' sixth goal materialised in the 58th minute. Green and Hassett worked a delightful one-two, the ultimate recipient of which was Rood, who beat Maucuna all ends up at her near post.
White knew it wasn't to be her day when her splendid headed goal was denied by the offside flag on the hour. Two twenty-five yard missiles from the former OFC Women's Player of the Year followed inside the next ten minutes, with Maucuna denying the second of them after watching the first clear her far post angle by not a lot!
Nineteen minutes from time, the Football Ferns entered seventh heaven. Gregorius, White, Rood and Rebekah Stott - who was just as keen as White to get in amongst the goals worked an opening on the right which saw the central defender storm to the by-line before fizzing in a cross which was turned into her own net by a Fijian defender.
Gregorius' eyes lit up seconds later when Morton delivered a superbly weighted cross to the far post which all but sat up and begged to be hit on the volley. Gregorius duly obliged, but not accurately.
Accuracy of finishing was one aspect of this match in which the Football Ferns will know there is significant room for improvement. They could very easily have threatened the world record scoreline had they converted even half the chances they squandered.
Jale was unlucky to see her piledriver strike freshly introduced substitute Emma Rolston right between the shoulder blades in the 74th minute, after which chances from Rood, Hassett, Jale and fellow substitute Steph Skilton went begging, either side of the game's eighth goal, eleven minutes from time.
Rood swept past two players before drilling the ball unerringly into the far corner of the net, a feat Rolston matched in fine style six minutes later, as she swiveled to volley home from six yards following the fine work of Morton and Rood once again, seconds after the scorer had beaten two defenders but seen her shot deflect to safety.
Only the outstanding anticipation of Maucuna, who hurtled off her line to curtail Rood's progress in the 87th minute, prevented the Football Ferns from reaching double figures on that occasion.
But when she raced out of her area again sixty seconds later, this time as a splendidly measured ball from half-way by Hassett arced into the inside right channel, Maucuna mis-timed her charge completely, leaving Gregorius with an empty net into which she duly fired the ball to complete her hat-trick.
Both Jale and Rood had chances to make it eleven soon after - Maucuna saved well at the former's feet, but 10-0 was the Football Ferns' lot on a night Fiji chose to rest a number of their first-choice players, their upcoming semi-final with Papua New Guinea clearly playing its part in the selections of coach Marika Rodu.
Fiji: Maucuna; S. Waqanidrola, Qereqeretabua, Tora, Gasau; Hussein, Waqabaca, Simmons, Moce; Likuculacula (Radani, 69), Tamanitoakula (N. Waqanidrola, 68)
F'ball Ferns: Nayler; Morton, Stott, Moore, Green; Hassett, Percival (Skilton, 62), Longo (Jale, 46); Gregorius, White (Rolston, 73), Rood
Referee: Rani Perry (Tahiti)
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