The Football Ferns are one step closer to the Olympic Games after defeating Fiji in the Oceania qualifying tournament. Photo / Photosport
Football Ferns 7
Fiji 1
The Football Ferns are one step away from the Paris Olympics.
New Zealand progressed to the final of the Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament on Friday after a resounding 7-1 win over Fiji.
They will face the Solomon Islands in Monday’s decider needing a victory to ensure their fifth consecutive Games appearance. The Ferns will be overwhelming favourites against the Solomon Islands, who are ranked 109th in the world.
Apart from a couple of early scares, the Ferns never had to get out of second gear on Friday. Fiji fell apart just before halftime, conceding three soft goals in six minutes with some awful defending.
New Zealand did well to maintain possession in the humid conditions and controlled the match effectively, but they were wasteful at times in the final third and will be disappointed at conceding their first goal of the tournament, with Cema Nasau’s consolation coming in added time.
But the performance was a step up from the group matches with Grace Jale bagging a hat-trick and Indiah-Paige Riley and Jacqui Hand scoring doubles.
The opening goal was all about Hand. Receiving the ball just past halfway, she skipped past her marker then beat another player before cutting back to an unmarked Riley, who swept the ball into the far corner.
Regardless of the quality of the opposition, the second goal was impressive. Neat passing and movement among several players carved the defence open before Hand’s decisive first-time finish from Gabi Rennie’s cross. From there Fijian heads began to drop.
Grace Neville hit the woodwork before the third, which went in off Jale’s shoulder after the Fijian goalkeeper completely missed Michaela Foster’s cross.
The chaotic defending continued, allowing Hand and Riley simple finishes before the break.
The second half was about conserving energy, though Jale completed her hat-trick after being in the right place for two close-range headers after the ball had been directed back across goal.
Nasau then took advantage of some defensive hesitation to slot past Anna Leat, only the second time in Fiji’s history they have found the net against New Zealand in women’s football.
Football Ferns 7 (Indiah-Paige Riley 2, Jacqui Hand 2, Grace Jale 3)
Fiji 1 (Cema Nasau)
HT: 5-0
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