KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand women's soccer team lost 0-3 in the first game of a two-match series against Australia at Coffs Harbour tonight.
Their strong first half performance was undone by three late Australian goals.
The sides were scoreless at halftime, but three long-range efforts in the final 25 minutes prevented the World Cup-bound New Zealand side taking anything but lessons from the encounter.
"The girls are pretty disappointed, they've played really well for long periods of the match but just weren't able to sustain it and the Australian quality showed through in the end," New Zealand coach John Herdman said.
After a first half in which New Zealand were able to keep the Australian attack in check, it took a moment of magic from Sarah Walsh to break the shackles and open the game up.
Walsh unleashed a fierce drive that crashed against Jenny Bindon's crossbar and bounced down over the line to send the Australians into the lead in the 65th minute.
"It felt like a 30-yard (about 27m) sucker punch. We'd nullified the threat for over an hour only to be hit by a screamer that's gone in off the cross bar" Herdman said.
New Zealand began to chase the game after that, pushing players forward in an effort to find an equaliser. Once possession was lost, however, the Matildas were quick to catch New Zealand out on the counterattack, and with Walsh having found her range, she delivered another cracker from outside the box in the 75th minute to increase the lead.
The Australian defence withstood late New Zealand chances, although one New Zealander did manage to get on the scoresheet -- Abby Erceg was credited with an unlucky own-goal four minutes from the end when her effort to block Lana Hirch's long-range drive deflected past her own 'keeper.
With New Zealand using the two-match series as part of their build up for the World Cup in September, Herdman was pleased with the quality of match provided by the Australians and the way his team dealt with it.
"Tonight was about shifting the mindset into a competitive situation and a lot of the girls put the hands up tonight and showed me that they can cope with the intensity at this level.
"We've been beaten by three quality goals that would beat most teams. We competed for long periods of the match even when the game opened up. We now have to sustain that pressure for longer periods against quality sides like this."
New Zealand 0 Australia 3 (Sarah Walsh 65, 75, Abby Erceg own goal 86). Halftime: 0-0.
- NZPA
