Maiden Northern Triumph Marred By Sobering Injury
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Northern Football claimed their maiden women's footballing honour when recording a 3-0 victory over Waikato-Bay of Plenty in a rain-soaked ASB National Women's Youth League Grand Final at Parrs Park on December 4, but their post-match celebrations were somewhat muted after the match was ended a minute earlier than planned.

A collision on the edge of the penalty area between Northern goalkeeper Pam Yates and Wai-BOP substitute Brianna Stewart left the young attacker screaming in agony, and facing a lengthy time in plaster as she recovers from a compound fracture of her tibia.

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Published: 04 December 2011

Northern Prise Loose Capital's Grip On Trophy
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Northern Football advanced to the final of the ASB National Women's Youth League at Parrs Park on 26 November, seeing off reigning champions Capital Football 1-0 in a match which never rose to any great heights, thanks largely to a gusty cross-field wind.

The conditions rendered the playing of quality football decidedly challenging for both teams, and with referee Sarah Walker similarly inconsistent in her handling of matters - not her most memorable ninety minutes by any stretch of the imagination - it meant what was always going to be a close contest became even more so, with a set-piece or a mistake the most likely means of deciding the outcome.

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Published: 26 November 2011

City Nip Off To Japan On Back Of Nap Hand
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland City ensured they headed to the FIFA Club World Cup Finals with the ideal domestic preparation under their belts by handing a poorly performed Youngheart Manawatu combination a 5-0 hiding at Kiwitea Street on 27 November to maintain their three-point advantage at the top of the ASB Premiership after four rounds.

The O-League champions won as they liked, getting off to a flying start by opening the scoring in the seventh minute. David Mulligan's corner to the far post picked out Ivan Vicelich, who set up Albert Riera for a shot. It was wayward, however, so much so that it struck Auckland's captain.

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Published: 27 November 2011

City See Off Strong Canterbury Challenge
Story by Jeremy Ruane

ASB Premiership leaders Auckland City maintained their perfect start to the 2011-12 season at Kiwitea Street on January 14, kicking off the year with a hard-earned 3-0 win over a strong Canterbury United side, who were far better than the scoreline suggests.

The visitors tore into their hosts with a vengeance, with a raking Adam Highfield free-kick being allowed to bounce after just eighty seconds. Jacob Spoonley leapt skywards, but could only get his fingertips to the ball, Angel Berlanga stepping in to spare his 'keeper's blushes as Russell Kamo looked to turn the ball home.

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Published: 14 January 2012

Waikato Springs Surprise As Play-Off Pursuit Resumes
By Jeremy Ruane

The race to see which teams will join the title-chasing Queen City contenders in the play-offs for the ASB Premiership enjoyed further twists when the competition resumed after the festive season break.

The most notable surprise was caused by Waikato FC, who scored twice in the last eight minutes to down Otago United 2-0 at Forsyth Barr Stadium, where Sam Mepham rattled a post in the ninth minute of a match which the home team dominated from the kick-off.

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Published: 15 January 2012

Muscat Discovers His Licence To Score At Last
By Jeremy Ruane

Wellington Phoenix made it back-to-back away wins in the Hyundai A-League for the first time in their history on January 20 as Manny Muscat scored his first goal for the club to earn a 1-0 win at Newcastle Jets which strengthens their grip on a top-four placing with the premiership phase of the season now two-thirds completed.

The visitors fired the first shot in anger at Ausgrid Stadium, to the delight of the Wellington fans in the 11,649-strong crowd, when Ben Sigmund’s early ball over the top caught the Newcastle defence napping.

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Published: 21 January 2012

Dramatic Finale Sees Brisbane Close On Central Coast
Story by Jeremy Ruane

A quite incredible finish to their Hyundai A-League clash with Sydney FC - in which Brisbane Roar struck two goals in the last two minutes of stoppage time to clinch a 2-1 win - allowed the reigning champions to narrow the gap on league leaders Central Coast Mariners, who were held to a 1-1 home draw by Newcastle Jets in the F3 derby.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the early exchanges at Bluetongue Stadium, and when Labinot Haliti swept Newcastle in front after seventeen minutes, the table-toppers’ unbeaten streak looked to be under threat, especially when they squandered the chance to level from a dubious penalty five minutes later.

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Published: 15 January 2012

Auckland Overcome Impressive Amicale
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Reigning O-League champions Auckland City scored a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Amicale FC at Kiwitea Street on 18 January to maintain their grip on top of their OFC Champions League group, but the home team were hard-pressed to record a win over impressive opponents whom few would have begrudged a share of the spoils.

City began the half in patient mood, with Amicale employing a pressing style of play which denied any of their blue-clad opponents time on the ball. Auckland weren't haleping themselves with a lack of mobility in attack in particular - they were very static during the first half-hour, while back-passes to Jacob Spoonley were too often under-hit, putting the 'keeper under far more pressure than was necessary.

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Published: 18 January 2012

Solid City Overcome Impressive Hekari Combination
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland City kept up their solid start to their OFC Champions League campaign at Kiwitea Street on November 19, overcoming a well-performed Hekari United combination 2-0 to take a vice-like grip of their O-League group.

A cagey first half, noticeably affected by a challenging cross-field wind, saw plenty of tidy football produced by both teams, but very little of a penetrative nature. It took ten minutes for the game's first opening to materialise - Manel Exposito rattled the sidenetting following a short corner.

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Published: 19 November 2011

Coastal Spirit Progress To Reta Fitzpatrick Final
Story by Jeremy Ruane / Photos By Graham Hughes

Coastal Spirit will take on Western in next Saturday’s Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final after defeating FC Twenty11 3-0 in a keenly contested semi-final at Avonhead Park on Saturday.

First half goals from Zara Walker and Chloe Webster put the beaten ASB National Women’s Knockout Cup Finalists on their way to victory, and Laura Merrin confirmed victory over the Mainland Premier Women’s League champions in the second spell.

Spirit will be looking to make it three successive wins in the final, which takes place at 11.30am at Tulett Park on a day which traditionally marks the end of the season in Christchurch.

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Published: 05 September 2011

Karori Complete Double As FC Take First Title
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Lotto Central Region Premier League champions Waterside Karori completed the league and cup double at Petone Memorial Park on Sunday by defeating Marist 7-0 in the Kelly Cup Final.

Renee Leota and Emma Rolston both bagged a brace of goals, while Emma Humphries and Briar Palmer also netted, as did goalkeeper Ronisa Lipi, whose penalty attempt was saved, but not well enough to prevent Karori’s ‘keeper from belting home the rebound.

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Published: 15 August 2011

Manukau’s Seven Year Ache At An End
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Manukau City scored a 3-0 win over Cambridge at Bill McKinlay Park on Saturday to win their Lotto Northern League play-off 4-1 on aggregate and book a return to the competition for the first time since 2004.

Player-coach Ricky Espinoza and Scott Yearbury scored first half goals which put City in the box seat, and Rhys Ruka put the result beyond doubt in the second spell to curtail the 33-year tenure of the Waikato club in the Northern League.

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Published: 09 October 2011

Glenfield Complete Treble With Maiden Cup Triumph
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Lotto Northern Premier Women’s League and Knockout Cup winners Glenfield Rovers added the ASB National Women’s Knockout Cup to their trophy cabinet for the first time on August 28, scoring a 3-0 win over Coastal Spirit at Palmerston North’s Memorial Park to complete the treble.

While the showpiece fixture in the women’s club footballing calendar disappointed overall as a spectacle, there was no doubting the more deserving team triumphed, although by their standards, Glenfield were nowhere near their best – the absence of the qualities which Katie Bowen (injury) and Priscilla Duncan (work commitments) bring to the team was very evident.

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Published: 28 August 2011

Chatham Cup’s Cinderella Story Ends In Triumph
Story by Jeremy Ruane

They have been the Cinderella story of the 2011 ASB Chatham Cup, and on August 28 at Palmerston North’s Memorial Park, Wairarapa United completed their rags to riches fairy-tale story by lifting the coveted trophy after downing Napier City Rovers 2-1 in a fast-paced physical final.

Defences dominated the opening stages of the match, with Napier’s Bill Robertson producing a vital clearance off the nose of United’s Seule Soromon, soon after James Oxtoby had executed the perfect block tackle to thwart the progress of Rovers’ Josh Stevenson down the left.

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Published: 28 August 2011

Portugal Prevail In Damp Squib Of A Game
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Portugal progressed to the last sixteen of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Finals in Cali, Columbia, on 5 August, prevailing 1-0 over the Youth All Whites in a damp squib of a game which rarely rose to mediocre heights, never mind great ones.

Frankly, it was awful fare, with New Zealand bereft of the quality, imagination and share of possession required to challenge a ball-dominating Portuguese side which only needed to avoid defeat to finish top of the group, and played accordingly.

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Published: 06 August 2011

On The March With Herdman’s Army – Part Nine
Story by Jeremy Ruane

What a final! It had everything! And what a great advertisement for football generally, women’s football particularly.

Who would have picked, before the first ball was kicked in anger in Germany on June 26, that the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be heading to Japan?

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Published: 21 July 2011

USA Pay The Penalty As Japan Win World Cup
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Profligate finishing by Team USA throughout a thrilling 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final at the Commerzbank Arena on July 17 came back to haunt them, as Japan edged the two-time winners 3-1 on penalties after two hours of gripping football had resulted in a 2-2 draw.

A sell-out 48,817-strong crowd were treated to a superb encounter which had a little bit of everything in it, including a late sending-off as Nadeshiko, having just snatched a dramatic equaliser, came close to being beaten at the death.

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Published: 19 July 2011

Football Ferns’ Late Late Show Seals Historic Draw
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Two stoppage time goals by the Football Ferns snatched a 2-2 draw from the jaws of defeat against Mexico at the Rhein Neckar Arena in Sinsheim on 5 July, as the FIFA Women’s World Cup campaigns of both teams drew to a close in dramatic fashion.

With 89 minutes on the clock, the Mexicans were poised to record their maiden victory at a FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals, but the Football Ferns denied them that pleasure with a gutsy fightback to earn themselves a precious and historic point, New Zealand’s first at the women’s game’s quadrennial showpiece event.

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Published: 06 July 2011

John Herdman – Post-Match Comments
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Football Ferns coach John Herdman was typically philosophical in his post-match comments, praising the victors while at the same time giving his disappointed charges the sort of public boost they needed with all to play for in their next two games.

“It was a good game for the spectators to watch”, said Herdman. “Japan mesmerised us as we all know they can, particularly in the last twenty-odd minutes with the introduction of Iwabuchi. I don’t think the world’s really seen that player yet, and I think this tournament’s going to be an exciting stage for that girl to flourish.

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Published: 28 June 2011

Hoyle Hoping For The Ultimate Career Highlight
Story by Jeremy Ruane

When Katie Hoyle was last the subject of an interview by this writer, in December 2005, she had only visited one country - Australia.

She’s had occasion to head to West Island a few more times since then, of course, but her passport now boasts stamps from a wide variety of countries - Samoa, Argentina, Holland, Russia, China, Papua New Guinea, USA, Singapore, Cyprus, Korea Republic, Japan and Switzerland, amongst others, with Germany soon to be added.

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Published: 19 June 2011

Plucky All Whites Overcome By Australia
Story by Jeremy Ruane

Australia’s Socceroos scored an expected 3-0 victory over a plucky and youthful New Zealand All Whites combination at Adelaide Oval on June 5, the 21,281-strong crowd braving a second half downpour to take in only the latest trans-tasman derby these age-old arch-rivals have contested in Adelaide.

The injury- and absentee-hit All Whites - Ricki Herbert was denied the services of sixteen players for this game - had travelled direct from their clash with Mexico in Denver, Colorado, to the South Australian capital, but at no stage was any hint of tiredness apparent in their performance.

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Published: 06 June 2011

Vanuatu’s Kaltak Seals Third Place, Golden Boot
Story by Jeremy Ruane / Photos by Graham Hughes

Two first half goals from Jean Kaltak fired Vanuatu to a 2-0 victory over Fiji and third place at the Oceania Football Confederation U-20 Championship at North Harbour Stadium on April 29.

A generally uninspiring spectacle was given a boost when Kaltak struck his first goal in the sixteenth minute, arrowing a first time shot on the run across Fijian goalkeeper Akuila Mateisuva and into the top far corner of the net, after Kevin Shem released his team-mate down the right.

Vanuatu had plenty of chances to double their lead before the interval, with Moses Moli-Kalotang, Kaltak and Didier Kalip all going close, before Kaltak settled the contest with his sixth goal of the tournament in first half stoppage time, muscling his way through Fiji’s defence to squeeze the match-clinching goal under the dive of Mateisuva.

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Published: 29 April 2011