Football Whanganui earn first draw

Vanya Hodgkinson and her Football Whanganui team picked up their first League point on Sunday with the draw against NPGHS.

Football Whanganui have picked up their first competition point together after going to a 0-0 draw with New Plymouth Girls High School in the GR Engineering Women's Federation League on Sunday.

Travelling to Peringa Park to play a good school team with a decent 3-3-3 record from nine games, who had also previously beaten them 5-0 and 3-1, Whanganui were on top in the first 20 minutes, being focused from the beginning.

NPGHS regained the momentum in the next quarter of an hour.

"It was a bit of an end-to-end game then. We hit the cross bar late in the first half," said Whanganui coach Symon King.

Whanganui goal keeper Megan O'Connor also made a great save near the end of the half.

The second half followed a pattern where NPGHS would work for position and then Whanganui would counterattack, having to scramble on defence close to the goal mouth a couple of times.

"A draw was probably a pretty fair result, but we were very close to sneaking it," said King.

Avoiding defeat for the first time will also lift the side's confidence, having been formed at the start of the season from various local club teams to compete at the higher level.

"It's a build in. We always knew this year would be difficult, with a new team," said King.

"It shows with their training, that they've pushed on."

The matchup was the start of the third round of games, with Whanganui having four regular matches remaining and one weather-postponed clash from Round 1 to play.

Their next game is at home at Wembley Park against PN Marist Women's Reserves on July 16.