Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson celebrates after the win over Norway. Photo / Photosport
Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson celebrates after the win over Norway. Photo / Photosport
Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson doesn’t have a roommate during the Fifa Women’s World Cup - and it is probably just as well.
The Ferns, along with every other team, all have single rooms as part of the many upgrades that Fifa has provided in their quest for parity atthis tournament.
That arrangement was timely in the aftermath of Thursday’s epic 1-0 win over Norway, where Wilkinson managed the most important goal of her career with an emphatic finish of Jacqui Hand’s pinpoint cross.
Wilkinson couldn’t get to sleep until close to 3am as her mind struggled to process what had just happened.
There had been prolonged celebrations, then endless interviews, as well as a random drugs test.
There was sushi to refuel - and the team victory tradition of ice cream (vanilla this time).
Her phone was pinging with messages, and she had enjoyed a catch-up with former strike partner Amber Hearn, who still holds the Ferns goal scoring record (54 goals in 125 games).
“It was really special to see her,” said Wilkinson. “A little bit of a full circle moment… I’ve always looked up to her.”
She also watched the goal, again and again - “there were so many angles of it - it was even better.”
Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson celebrates scoring against Norway. Photo / Michael Craig
On Friday afternoon Wilkinson was still buzzing. The moment - and the match - had topped everything in her long career, which included 117 Ferns games and 29 goals, while the reaction was even more special.
“Just hearing the nation say that they’re proud of us and that it was one of the best moments of Kiwi sporting history is a pretty special thing to hear,” said Wilkinson.
The goal will be endlessly replayed over the coming weeks and always have a special niche in football lore.
It was a set move that worked to perfection, as Katie Bowen’s lofted pass found CJ Bott, who laid off to Indiah-Paige Riley.
The winger released Jacqui Hand, who scorched her marker before delivering the perfect cross.
“I could feel it coming,” said Wilkinson of their momentum. “And the second that I saw Jacqui have it, I knew that the cross was coming and I was like, this is it. We’re scoring - we’re going one up now.”
The Ferns had dominated the first half, without reward, but coach Jitka Klimková revealed Wilkinson provided a vital boost at the interval.
“It was such a great moment for me as a coach,” said Klimková. “During halftime, I looked at Wilkie and [she] just said ‘We got this, it’s coming’. And three minutes later she did it.”
It’s another chapter in Wilkinson’s storied career, after World Cup goals in 2011 (versus Mexico) and 2015 (versus China) that contributed to draws.
The 31-year was proud, but quick to praise her teammates, especially fellow forward Hand, who had an outstanding game with her movement and deft touches.
Hannah Wilkinson and her Football Ferns teammates celebrate the goal. Photo / Michael Craig
But the Ferns are keeping their feet on the ground. They started recovery straight after the game with ice baths and have already switched focus to the clash with world No 46 the Philippines on Tuesday (5.30pm) in Wellington.
“While [Thursday] was historic and it was an amazing achievement, we’ve still got a big job to do,” said Wilkinson.
The squad - minus the starting XI - had a full training session at Keith Hay Park on Friday morning. The players also enjoyed some family catch-ups on Friday afternoon, before they switch back into tournament mode.
They will have two more sessions in Auckland, before flying to the capital on Monday morning for a rematch with the Asian nation, after the 2-1 win last September in Los Angeles.
“We will focus on things that we’ve done well, things that we want to still keep improving,” said Klimková.
“That’s our process. And we’ve studied the Philippines. We played them, we know them very well. Now we’ll focus on little details that can help us to beat them again.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
