Australia 2

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Australia 2

Much Improved Junior Ferns Hold Young Matildas

by Jeremy Ruane

A much changed and significantly improved Junior Ferns combination deservedly held their Australian U-20 rivals to a 1-1 draw at Canberra's Viking Park on April 10 in the second of two internationals between the trans-Tasman rivals.

Only three players retained their places in coach Gemma Lewis' starting line-up compared to the team which capitulated 5-1 four days prior, and almost without exception, the newcomers made strong statements for inclusion in future on-field elevens as the Junior Ferns continued their preparations for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals, which take place in Costa Rica in August.

The Young Matildas, by contrast, made just two tweaks to their starting eleven with that tournament in mind, thus there was understandably a greater sense of cohesion about their play in the initial stages of proceedings, although Cushla Rue's ninth minute error afforded one of the Kiwi newcomers, Milly Clegg, the chance to open the scoring, an opportunity she was unable to capitalise upon.

In response to that scare, Australia went straight down the other end and opened the scoring, Sarah Hunter thundering home a twenty yarder into the top far corner, after Sheridan Gallagher's cross from the right had been headed straight to the Young Matildas' midfield general by Kate Taylor.

Another of the newcomers, Mona Walker, produced a super tackle sixty seconds later to prevent Kahli Johnson from latching onto Hunter's through ball and doubling the Young Matildas' lead, a challenge from which the Junior Ferns took much confidence and began to establish a foothold for themselves in the game.

When the next threat on goal came, halfway through the first half, it was sourced from Tui Dugan, who had a fine game on the flank as a late replacement for the injured Charlotte Lancaster. Normally a midfield marauder, Dugan embraced her opportunity with gusto, and on this occasion delivered quality to the far post, where Clegg was arriving on cue.

So was Australian goalkeeper Chloe Lincoln, who prevailed on this occasion, although she didn't have long to wait before finding her goal under threat again, with Dugan and Clegg the duo responsible.

Either side of these attempts, the Young Matildas threatened again, Hunter - easily the stand-out performer across this two-match series - being denied by Taylor's rock-solid 23rd minute tackle following a cross from newcomer Aideen Keane.

As far as Australia was concerned, however, New Zealand's captain had fouled their star turn. Referee Georgia Ghirardello had her own views on the incident, and during the next break in play, booked Hunter for simulation.

The Young Matildas' next raid saw Keane career down the left and into the penalty area before hitting the near post with an acute-angled drive. That 27th minute threat was followed four minutes later by another lively Australian raid, prompted by Ella Ilijoski inviting Johnson to pin back her ears once more and surge through the inside left channel.

Johnson duly pulled the trigger, only for Junior Ferns goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff to block her effort, then block her attempt to turn home the rebound, before smothering this rebound at the feet of the incoming figure of Australian captain Gallagher.

It was a stunning triple save from the custodian, whose first noteworthy contribution to the action this was. Another soon followed in the form of a smothered denial of a Daniela Galic drive, seconds after Walker had been forced to head the ball over her own crossbar to prevent Gallagher's cross from picking out Galic on the far post.

In between these attempts came one at the opposite end of the park from which the Junior Ferns came desperately close to equalising. Alyssa Whinham's spadework in midfield allowed Dugan to play an early ball forward, one which sent Clegg dashing in behind the Australian rearguard. Lincoln tipped her shot round the near post.

That 33rd minute effort was followed four minutes later by a Marisa van der Meer-led raid. The fullback outmuscled both Hannah Jones and Gallagher en route to the by-line, from where she pulled the ball back into the stride of Ava Pritchard on the far post.

Her finish was horrible - high, wide and far from handsome, particularly when scoring seemed the easier option. But the Junior Ferns had but seconds to wait to enjoy that particular aspect of the game at first hand.

Aniela Jensen, one of the newcomers who shone like a beacon in this match, forced an opening in midfield, but Clegg still had plenty to do to capitalise upon it. What she did, however, was brilliantly done, turning her marker then surging between two defenders to storm into the penalty area, where she found herself with just Lincoln to beat. The 'keeper was afforded no chance - 1-1, seven minutes before half-time.

The Junior Ferns could have gone to the dressing rooms a goal to the good. Dugan swooped on Hannah Jones in the 42nd minute, forcing an error from the Australian which Whinham was quick to exploit - too quick, as it happens, for she had time on her hands but shot early and wide.

Sheaff brought the half to a close with a solid save at the feet of Keane, the speedster's last act in a contest which saw Australian coach Leah Blayney make three changes to her team at half-time.

Was that because they under-performing? Or had her opposite number, Gemma Lewis, chosen this match to employ round pegs in round holes and

field arguably her best eleven? Because her starting line-up in this match was as different as night is from day in terms of the calibre of personnel employed, make no mistake.

Which begs the question, why sacrifice a rare international? Surely as a coach, you'd know from training sessions and your squad selection processes who passes muster and who's going to be a fringe player at best.

You don't use an international fixture to confirm that thinking! It's effectively cheapening the shirt, not to mention undermining the efforts of all those who've represented NZ at this and other levels previously.

A handful of players who took to the field in Wednesday's clash are, frankly, nowhere near the standard required to be competitive at this level of the game. They don't even stand out in club football, the best gauge and tried-and-trusted form of testing the merits of any player's representative prospects!

Yet here they are now with caps to their name, and an accompanying footnote - members of a side which suffered our heaviest-ever defeat to Australia at U-20 level. Is that something they deserve?

Back to the action. The Young Matildas had clearly copped a half-time rev-up, because they hit the ground running in the second spell, twice going close inside the first seven minutes of the half through Johnson and Hunter.

Sheaff saved the former's attempt, after Zoe McMeeken had been caught out of position - perhaps she's better suited to an attacking midfield role? - while the goalkeeper was scrambling as the latter's long-range free-kick flew narrowly past the far post.

A twenty-five yarder from half-time substitute Alana Murphy wasn't far away in the 56th minute, while a poor clearance from Sheaff put both Taylor and van der Meer in a spot of bother on the hour, something which Gallagher was keen to capitalise upon, only to lose her focus when bearing down on goal. "Do I cross or shoot?" Sheaff's blocking save made amends for her rare blunder.

The Junior Ferns weathered this storm, and got back on the front foot around the hour mark via Clegg, whose pursuit of a lost cause prompted Jamilla Rankin to hit the panic button as the striker bore down on the defender at a great rate of knots.

Buoyed by this, the Kiwis came again, forcing a corner from which Whinham's cross out of the sun tested Lincoln - the Young Matildas' number one is a good 'un, make no mistake, as she proved again in the 64th minute.

Clegg pounced on a wayward Leticia McKenna pass and set sail for goal, only for the approaching figure of Lincoln to force the striker well wide of the target - a terrific piece of defending by the goalkeeper which meant the chance was lost.

Emma Pijnenburg took to the international stage like a duck to water in this match, and got through her work in her usual quiet, efficient manner - the sort of player you don't notice until she's not on the pitch, and the duties she fulfils are no longer being done.

Charlotte Wilford-Carroll, one of few players to emerge from Wednesday's drubbing with credit to her name, took over from her in the 66th minute, and for the next ten minutes or so, everyone was wondering, "Where's Emma?" Because the Young Matildas were suddenly running amok in the area of the park Pijnenburg had patrolled with aplomb.

Murphy fed Gallagher, who held the ball up well before inviting Hunter to let rip from twenty yards, a deflected effort which went just past the post. Taylor's super 74th minute tackle foiled Johnson as she cut a swathe through the inside left channel, the goal her target, while another perfectly timed challenge from Walker left the striker in a heap four minutes later.

That tackle gave the Junior Ferns renewed vigour, and within sixty seconds they had gone close to scoring, Lincoln dashing out to save at the feet of Pritchard after Whinham had weaved her way through traffic before slipping a slide-rule pass into her team-mate's stride.

Back came the Australians, Hannah Lowry's through ball for Hunter being cut out by van der Meer, before Lowry picked out fellow substitute Abbey Green with a great switch of play. Sheaff dashed out to save at her feet.

The Young Ferns responded via Wilford-Carroll, who lobbed one over the defence for Clegg to pursue. Lincoln dashed out to clear that particular threat, and after Green had had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up, a stoppage time long-range free-kick from Walker found Taylor nipping in behind all-comers to find herself with the game up for grabs and the goal at her mercy …

Alas, she volleyed over from eight yards, the last kick of the ball in an extremely well-contested trans-Tasman encounter between two well-matched starting elevens, many of whom will be hoping to have already done enough to earn selection for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals in August.

Australia: Lincoln; Rue (booked, 90), Chinama, Rankin (Tonkin, 75 (booked, 77)), Ilijoski; Gallagher (Lowry, 72), Jones (Murphy, 46), Hunter (booked, 25), Keane (Sakalis, 46); Johnson (Green, 80), Galic (McKenna, 46)

Junior Ferns: Sheaff; McMeeken, Walker, Taylor, van der Meer; Jensen, Pijnenburg (Wilford-Carroll, 66), Whinham (Findlay, 84); Pritchard, Clegg (Wasi, 84), Dugan (Ingham, 72)

Referee: Georgia Ghirardello

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