OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006 - Matches

Match Day 1 results

OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa

 

Group A

New Zealand 4 (Hannah Rishworth 51, Ria Percival 62, 79, Ali Riley 63)
Solomon Islands 0

 

New Zealand predictably won their opening game but the 4-0 scoreline over the Solomon Islands belied the difficultly New Zealand had in breaking down their gritty opponents. The kiwis were made to wait until the 51st minute to break the stalemate with Hannah Rishworth climbing above the static Solomon Islands defence to nod home Ria Percival’s corner. Percival doubled the Kiwis’ lead in the 62nd minute when her cross from the left hand touchline duped the Solomons’ goalkeeper and cannoned into the net off the far-post. New Zealand had their third a minute later when US-based Ali Riley coolly finished after being put clear by second-half substitute Petria Rennie. Percival capped the scoring in the 79th minute, tapping home from close range after a determined run and an excellent cross from workaholic striker Emma Humphries.

 

 

Tonga 4 (Kaati Malua, Salome Vaenuku, Marion Tuipulotu 2)
Vanuatu 1 (Fabrina Serveux)

 

Tonga came from a goal down to beat Vanuatu 4-1 in their opener. Marion Tuipulotu (2), Kaati Malua and Salome Vaenuku scored for Tonga while Fabrina Serveux added a consolation for Vanuatu. Tonga sat in second place with New Zealand ahead on goal differential.

 

OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

 

Group B

New Caledonia 0
Papua New Guinea 3 (Pauline Turakaur 45, Zeena Limbai 58, Jacquline Chalau 87)

 

Papua New Guinea shared the Group B lead with Samoa after beating New Caledonia 3-0. Gusty winds made life difficult for PNG who took the lead a minute after halftime through Pauline Turakaura who nutmegged the New Caledonia goalkeeper who still appeared dazed after a heavy collision minutes earlier. Zeena Limbai (58th) and Jacquline Chalau (87th) capped PNG’s dominance, as the Melanesians emerged as one of the favourites to challenge for the title.

 

 

Samoa 3 (Suitupe Tafafa 2, Josephine Ane)
Fiji 0

 

Buoyed by a vocal home crowd, Samoa overpowered Fiji 3-0 with goals from Josephine Ane and Suitupe Tafafa (2). Fiji looked to have scored a late consolation goal from the penalty spot only to have it disallowed after a Fijian player encroached early. Samoan goalkeeper Kalaponi Leato then saved the re-take to the delight of the sun-bathed crowd.

 

 

Match Day 2 results

OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

 

Group A

New Zealand 11 (Abby Erceg 30, Sarah Gregorius 39, Ria Percival 41, Hannah Bromley 42, Renee Leota 43, Kirsty Yallop 50, 57, 83, Helen Collins 46, 59, Ali Riley 60)
Vanuatu 0

 

New Zealand waltzed into the semi-finals with an 11-0 thumping of Vanuatu. Vanuatu battled bravely for half an hour before defender Abby Erceg opened the floodgates with a powerful header. Kiwi captain Kirsty Yallop scored a second half hat-trick while halftime substitute Helen Collins added a double, her first coming just 48 seconds after the restart. Sarah Gregorius, Ria Percival, Hannah Bromley, Renee Leota and Ali Riley completed the scoring for New Zealand.

 

 

Tonga 2 (Penateti Feke 39, 65)
Solomon Islands 1 (Vanessa Inifiri 61)

 

Tonga eased into the final four with a 2-1 win over the Solomon Islands thanks to Penateti Feke 39th and 65th minute double. Vanessa Inifiri equalised for the Solomons in the 61st minute but Feke ensured Tonga the mantle of tournament upstarts with her winner just four minutes later.

 

 

OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

 

Group B

Papua New Guinea 6 (Zeena Limbai 11, 18, 63, 66, Bridget Nakas 12, Daisy Winas 32)
Fiji 1 (Savaira Ratu 83)

 

PNG demolished Fiji 6-1 on Saturday. Striker Zeena Limbai was PNG’s heroine with four goals – in the process registering the first hat-trick of the tournament – while Bridget Nakas and Daisy Winas were also on target.

 

 

Samoa 3 (Suitapa Tafafa 3)
New Caledonia 0

 

The four semi-finalists were found on Match Day 2 of the 2006 OFC U-20 Championships in Samoa with a round of group matches to spare.

 

Hosts Samoa sealed their qualification with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, striker Suitapa Tafata sent the vocal local crowd into raptures with a hat-trick, sending her tally to five goals in two matches.

 

Samoa would play Papua New Guinea on Match Day 3 to decide who topped Group B.

 

Match Day 3 results
OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

Group A

New Zealand 7 (Caitlin Campbell 1, Petria Rennie 13, Kirsty Yallop 41, 63, Emma Harrison 43, Ali Riley 53, Emma Humphries 71)
Tonga 0

 

New Zealand produced the fast start they desired but not the finish despite thumping Tonga 7-0 to comfortably top Group A but New Zealand became increasingly frustrated by Tonga's deep defending after Petria Rennie doubled the score in the 13th minute following a well-weighted cross from Ria Percival. Shot after shot was sprayed high and wide as the Kiwis lacked composure in the congested penalty area.

New Zealand had to wait till the 41st minute before Yallop finished a neat one-two with Katie Hoyle. Hoyle's midfield partner Emma Harrison then made it 4-0 two minutes before halftime when she rifled a left-footed shot into the right hand corner after being cleverly set up by Sarah Gregorius.

It was a similar pattern of hit and miss in the second half with halftime substitute Ali Riley (53rd), Yallop (62nd) and second half sub Emma Humphries (71st) completing the rout.

Solomon Islands 1 (Layda Samani 18)
Vanuatu 1 (Leisoko Masauvakalo 45)

 

The derby between near neighbours Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands ended with honours shared. Layda Samani opened the scoring after 18 minutes outpacing the Vanuatu defence before calmly rounding the 'keeper and rolling the ball into the empty net. Vanuatu responded on the stroke of half-time in similar fashion through Leisoko Masauvakalo.

The Solomons had chances to secure the win in the second half, but wayward finishing let them down - not for the first time in the tournament.

 

 

Match Day 4 results
OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

Group B

Samoa 1 (Florence Lam Sam 50)
Papua New Guinea 0

 

Florence Lam Sam was the toast of Samoa on Tuesday as the hosts edged ever closer to a dream final appearance at the OFC U-20 Women's Championship in Apia. The striker's 50th minute goal was enough to see Samoa pip Papua New Guinea 1-0 at the Toleafoa JS Blatter Football Fields in one of the more thrilling matches of the tournament.

 

Lam Sam snuck in front of PNG goalkeeper Matilda Tomalin to nod home the winner from a Frances Ane corner to send the vocal local crowd crazy. But PNG made the hosts sweet for their victory, forcing three top saves out of Samoan goalkeeper Kalaponi Leato, including two last gasp tips over the bar late in the game.

Fiji 3 (Radilaite Marama 52, Yashreen Begum 77, Savaira Ratu 82 pen)
New Caledonia 0

 

Fiji ended their campaign on a joyous note after beating New Caledonia 3-0. Radilaite Marama opened the Fijians account after 52 minutes before Yashreen Begum drove in a 25-yard scorcher. Savaira Ratu completed the comfortable win when she nutmegged the New Caledonian goalkeeper from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute.

 

Match Day 5 results
OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

Semi Final 1

New Zealand 5 (Caitlin Campbell 6, 9, 18; Kirsty Yallop 40, Ali Riley 90)
Papua New Guinea 1 (Jennifer Leo 7)

 

New Zealand reached the final with a 5-1 win over Papua New Guinea in the other semi-final. Left winger Caitlin Campbell scored a hat-trick inside 18 minutes to make the semi final safe for New Zealand. But the Kiwis were placed under pressure when goalkeeper completely missed a clearing kick to present Jennifer Leo with an open net in the seventh minute.

Captain Kirsty Yallop sent New Zealand to halftime with a 4-1 buffer when she chipped PNG goalkeeper Matilda Tomalin in the 40th minute. Tomalin had to be carried from the pitch after a heavy collision with Yallop just after the Kiwi had fired off her shot.

The second half was a case of hit and miss from New Zealand who had only Ali Riley's stoppage time tap-in to show for 36 shots on goal.

 

Semi Final 2
Samoa 2 (Faavae Taumua 11, Suitupe Tafafa 56)
Tonga 3 (Karen Utaatu 5 pen, 67 pen; Penateti Feke 73)

 

Tonga would enter the final as overwhelming underdogs after being beaten 16-0 by New Zealand in a warm-up to the World Cup qualifiers before suffering a 7-0 loss in their Group A match in Apia.

But those results were forgotten as Tonga celebrated their upset over Samoa who had won a pre-tournament friendly between the sides 2-1.

 

 

Match Day 6 results

OFC U-20 Women’s Championship – Samoa 2006
Joseph S. Blatter Playing Fields

Apia, Samoa,

 

Final

New Zealand 6 (Caitlin Campbell 8, Ali Riley 29, Emma Humphries 40, Annalie Longo 44, Helen Collins 81, Emma Harrison 90)
Tonga 0

 

New Zealand secured their place at a FIFA World Championship for just the fifth time after beating Tonga 6-0 to capture the 2006 OFC U-20 Women's Championship in Samoa.

Goals from Caitlin Campbell, Ali Riley, Emma Humphries, Annalie Longo and second half substitutes Helen Collins and Emma Harrison saw New Zealand predictably secure Oceania's berth at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Russia from August 17-September 3.

John Herdman's victorious side, who qualified with a 33-1 goal count in five matches, followed in the stud-marks of the New Zealand senior women's team which qualified for the inaugural FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991.

 

Match for 3rd Place

Papua New Guinea 4 (Jacqueline Chalau 5, Jennifer Leo 45, 84, Daisy Winas 50)
Samoa 1 (Frances Ane 60 pen)

 

In the third place play-off, a distinctly flat Samoan squad were no match for Papua New Guinea, who prevailed 4-1 against the host nation. Taking the lead after five minutes through captain Jacqueline Chalau's twenty-five yard free-kick, the Papuans threatened to make no race of it in the early stages, but the Samoans came back into the match, only to be stunned on the stroke of half-time.

It was then that Jennifer Leo caught the hosts on the counter-attack and lashed home her team's second goal of the game, and five minutes into the second half, PNG extended their lead to 3-0, Daisy Winas their deserving markswoman.

Frances Ane potted a penalty on the hour mark to give the Samoans hope, but six minutes from time, Leo struck on the counter-attack once more to clinch third place for the team who came to Samoa harbouring high hopes of proving New Zealand's strongest opposition.