Football Ferns miss penalty, concede late in pre-World Cup defeat by Wales

June 5, 2019
Olivia Chance and Wales' Natasha Harding compete for the ball.

The Football Ferns' road to the women's World Cup has hit a road bump after losing to Wales this morning 1-0.

The 19th-ranked Kiwi side looked destined for a goalless draw with their 33rd-ranked hosts at Cardiff International Stadium until Kayleigh Green scored a stoppage time header.

It was Wales' first goal in an international fixture in almost a year - their last coming in a 3-0 win over Russia on June 12 last year with four losses and three goalless draws since. 

The Football Ferns had a chance to take the lead in the first half when Sarah Gregorius earned a penalty but her attempt was easily saved by Welsh keeper Laura O'Sullivan.

In their final friendly before the World Cup, Tom Sermanni's side dominated the match statistically too, owning 66 per cent of possession and outshooting Wales 21-9.

However, just three of those 21 attempts were on target, meaning their execution will be a big focus point heading into the tournament in France.

Wales, on the other hand, only have Euro 2020 qualifiers to look forward to after failing to reach the World Cup.

The Ferns open their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands next Wednesday NZT.

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