Young Football Ferns complete tour against Sydney FC

New Zealand’s U-17 women’s footballers wrapped up their three match tour of Australia on Thursday night, losing 1-4 to a Sydney FC selection in Sydney.

Goalscorer Hannah Wong. Photosport.

July 16, 2010

AUCKLAND – New Zealand’s U-17 women’s footballers wrapped up their three match tour of Australia on Thursday night, losing 1-4 to a Sydney FC selection in Sydney.

Hannah Wong scored New Zealand’s only goal of the game after Olivia Chance, the standout player on tour for the Young Football Ferns drove inside her marker, took on another defender and slipped a weighted pass for Wong to finish with a first time strike.

The goal came amidst a much improved second performance against the W-League club but New Zealand were already three goals down after conceding two goals in the first 10 minutes and another just before halftime.

“We were disappointed with the first half,” said New Zealand coach Dave Edmondson.

“We conceded a little bit cheaply. We worked on a couple of things to combat their movement but to concede in the third and the ninth minute were killers.

“We got back in the game and but then switched off just before halftime after maybe got a bit more comfortable.

Chance looked to have sprung Sydney’s defensive trap and reduced the deficit further but her effort was ruled out for offside. Sydney’s final goal came in injury time at the end of the second spell.

 “We tidied things up at halftime and in the second half we dominated,” said Edmondson.

“We had a lot more possession, a lot more composure and really caused them some problems.”

The Young Football Ferns are using the tour as preparation for September’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. New Zealand have been drawn against Spain, Venezuela and Japan and are  hoping to secure warm up fixtures en route to the 16 nation tournament.

New Zealand U-17 1 (Hannah Wong 53) Sydney FC 4
Sydney

New Zealand: Jessica REDDAWAY (GK ), Rachel HEAD (Megan LEE 75), Tessa MCPHERSON (Michelle WINDSOR 62), Sivitha BOYCE (Kate CARLTON 75), Katie BOWEN (captain), Rebecca BURROWS (Hannah CARLSEN 60), Kate LOYE, Evie MILLYNN, Olivia CHANCE, Hannah WONG (Ashleigh WARD 70), Holly PATTERSON.
Substitutes not used: Chloe-May GEURTS (RGK), Grace PARKINSON.
Coach: Dave EDMONDSON