Bott strikes late winner as Ferns fire first part of coach’s California dream
ONE win down, one to go.
Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova made her expectations clear ahead of her side’s matches with Mexico and the Philippines in California this month.
Her players have held up their end of their bargain so far, with a late goal from fullback CJ Bott giving them a 1-0 win over Mexico yesterday.
It was the Ferns first win in eight matches this year and just their second in 12 matches under Klimkova, who was appointed 12 months ago on a six-year contract.
The match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, wasn’t broadcast in any form, a decision NZ Football said was Mexico’s as the host association of the match on neutral territory in the United States.
That meant there was little for onlookers to glean from the match, other than the fact that Bott struck in the 84th minute to give the Ferns a much-needed win as they build towards next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup on home soil.
There was a debut for IndiahPaige Riley and a first start of 2022 for forward Jacqui Hand, who seemingly benefited from the absences of Hannah Wilkinson and Grace Jale, who both tested positive for Covid-19 during the week and were in isolation.
Captain Ali Riley returned to the Ferns lineup at left back after missing both their matches in Europe in June with injury, while Bott’s return at right back came after missing the June fixtures and those in Australia in April.
Vic Esson started for the third match in a row in goal – the longest streak of any of the three goalkeepers used by Klimkova´ .
She said on the eve of the match that the player picked there against Mexico would be the one she considered her best stopper at present.
The rest of the starting XI had a familiar look about it, with Olivia Chance on the left and Paige Satchell up top, Annalie Longo and Betsy Hassett in the middle of the park and Claudia Bunge and Meikayla Moore at centre back, where Rebekah Stott was absent recovering from ankle surgery.
Longo had to be substituted after 30min, in what was potentially the only blemish of the afternoon.
The Ferns match against the Philippines [kickoff 12pm Wednesday NZ time] is set to be streamed live on YouTube.