Junior Ferns come up short despite

At a glance

A spectacular long-range effort from Charlotte Lancaster was to no avail as the Junior Football Ferns exited the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup at the end of the group stage.

Lancaster’s left-footed shot from wide on the right curled into the top-left hand corner of the Colombian goal to draw New Zealand level at 2-2 with just under 20 minutes to play in San Jose´ yesterday. But even though they had been playing against 10 women since shortly before halftime, New Zealand weren’t able to get the two further goals they needed to pip Colombia and qualify for the quarterfinals.

The Junior Ferns went into their final group B match needing to win by two, regardless of what happened in the other match between Germany, who beat them 3-0, and Mexico, who they drew with, 1-1, in their opener.

Milly Clegg got them off to the perfect start when she was played in down the left by Marisa van der Meer, beat her defender, then curled her shot into the far corner of the net after just three minutes.

At Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San Jose´: Junior Football Ferns 2 (Milly Clegg 3’, Charlotte Lancaster 71’) Colombia 2 (Linda Caicdeo 10’ 63’). HT: 1-1.

New Zealand’s advantage lasted only seven minutes, however, as Linda Caicedo beat goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff with a strike from the top of the Colombia level.

While Caicedo got the goal for the South American nation, it was Gisela Robledo who looked the most dangerous. She had several excellent chances to put her side in front in the first half, forcing Sheaff to make a save with an outside-of-the-boot shot and going close on two other occasions.

When fullback Yirleidys box to draw