The Football Ferns did not have much to celebrate in a 2-0 loss to Scotland on Sunday but midfielder Katie Bowen was still able to raise a toast after bringing up her 50^th cap for New Zealand.

Bowen is yet to blow out the candles on her 24^th birthday cake – she will do so in the middle of next month – but has already become just the 21^st player to reach the half-century mark for the Football Ferns and is understandably proud to have joined such an illustrious group.

“It’s a huge milestone and is a great achievement for both myself and my family,” she says.

The Auckland native is quick to pay tribute to those who have played a key role in shaping the player she’s become.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here without the help of my team mates and coaches along the way and I’ve loved every minute of it – it’s been really fun. It wasn’t the result I would have wanted on my 50th cap but it was still such an honour. To represent your country 50 times is pretty surreal.”

In reaching the milestone, Bowen follows in the footsteps of 12 current team mates – namely Abby Erceg, Ria Percival, Amber Hearn, Ali Riley, Annalie Longo, Betsy Hassett, Rosie White, Hannah Wilkinson, Sarah Gregorius, Anna Green, Rebekah Stott and Erin Nayler. That core group of hardened international campaigners forms the basis of one of the most experienced Football Ferns squads of all time, so expectations were therefore high going into the first of two matches against Spain on Sunday morning (NZ time).

The New Zealand team’s previous outing under new coach Andreas Heraf had resulted in a 5-0 triumph over Thailand but the Scots proved a far tougher proposition, goals from Jane Ross and Lisa Evans in each half earning a 2-0 win in wet conditions at the Pinatar Football Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar.

Bowen started the match but was replaced at half-time as Heraf made a trio of changes and was frustrated with the final outcome.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the result we wanted and was pretty disappointing as we’ve been working hard and had a clear-cut game plan but we just couldn’t execute that,” she says.

“Now we have another opportunity in a couple of days so hopefully we can rectify a few of the nitty gritty parts of the game plan, execute those and have a better performance.”

Heraf and his support staff do not have long to iron out the mistakes of the first game as the World No 19 will meet the 23^rd-ranked Scots again at the same venue on Tuesday night (11pm NZT).

“It’s a quick turnaround so we’ll have to do that quickly in a few meetings but I’m confident we can perform better and hopefully get the result we want,” says Bowen, who has just swapped FC Kansas City for the newly-formed Utah Royals in the American National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

After representing her country right through the age groups, Bowen made her first Football Ferns appearance in 2011 and has worked her way to becoming a mainstay of the starting line-up, finding the net on two occasions in the process. The second of these strikes came in that recent success over Thailand but it’s her maiden international goal that will linger longest in the memory, coming against trans-Tasman foes Australia at the illustrious surroundings of the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne as the Ferns notched a 1-1 draw.

“That one against Australia was probably the most memorable because it was obviously against our rivals from across the ditch. It was a pretty decent strike and my parents were in the crowd – it was an awesome moment in my career,” she says.

Bowen feels plenty more such moments will be in store over the coming months as Heraf looks to expand on the outstanding work of predecessor Tony Readings as the Ferns build towards the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

“We’ve got clear-cut ideas, it’s just about repetition and coming into camp, hitting the ground running and working on the game plan,” she says.

“Obviously, it’s different so that’s going to take a little bit of time but I’m confident because we have a great bunch of girls, great players and a lot of girls who are in the top environments around the world.”