Football: Whanganui face strong Moturoa team in Women's Federation League opener

Rebekah Ngapeka, left, looks for a way through the Moturoa defender in the Women's Federation League season opener at Wembley Park on Saturday. Photos / Lewis Gardner

Fernanda Toscani.

Her Brazilian name rolls off the tongue as effortlessly as she glides into gaps between defenders and goalkeepers, as Team Ritesh Whanganui discovered in the 7-0 pounding from Moturoa AFC in the belated kickoff to the Women's Federation League on Sunday.

The Taranaki side are new to the smaller-looking league this season, although their credentials were already well established after they won the 2019 knockout Federation Cup against predominantly the same teams.

Whanganui are looking to build on their season of great improvement last year, finishing with a 5-5-5 record, while their top striker Vanya Apiata-Hodgkinson won the Golden Boot.

But while she has returned on time for the delayed start to the season, impressive after the birth of her new son in January, Apiata-Hodgkinson will likely have to secede her crown to Toscani, who scored four goals and provided the assist on another at Wembley Park.

Whanganui made a reasonable start, although they lacked for penetrations into Moturoa's box, with the visitors showing more settled combinations and better ball handling.

Rebekah Ngapeka turned on the gas out wide, but found the cover quick to crowd her, while Stella Warner and Eva Thompson likewise had a lot of work to do at the back.

Tessa Hunt did not get a lot of attacking opportunities up the front of the park.

Yet Toscani was already beginning to give new Whanganui keeper Amy Simmers some problems, and upon reaching an excellent chip pass over the back defenders, the striker slammed her right to left shot into the corner of the net to set her team rolling.

It broke the dam, as moments later, fellow Moturoa forward Jasmine Burnard followed up a midfield drive to squeeze her tap between chasing defenders and a sliding Simmers for 2-0.

The hits kept coming as again Toscani, who is in constant motion and loves living on the back of defenders outside shoulders, got out alone and delivered another perfect right to left curve.

She would have a hat trick before halftime when she charged after a loose pass and in swift motion produced a chip over Simmers' head to bounce twice into an open goal mouth.

Keeping their heads up and receiving a good talking too from coach Matt Calvert, Whanganui looked to lift in the second stanza, actually starting to get enough position for a couple of shots at goal from Candice Armstrong.

Danja Grunwald would be the one Whanganui player to emerge with a lot of credit for some good turnovers and physical challenges, not hanging back or hesitating like some of her team mates, as she put Toscani among others on the deck several times.

Unfortunately, that initial good work was all undone as Whanganui struggled to clear the ball from their half, with medium to long pass intercepts being the story of their day, and Toscani fed Eve Barry in front of goal to strike it home.

Moturoa goal scorer Eve Barry.

As is the mark of a good team, once again a follow-up goal came rapidly, as Moturoa secured their umpteenth turnover and a good pass to Toscani was all she needed for a quartet of goals.

Whanganui strung some phases together at the back end of the match, with Apiata-Hodgkinson finally getting the chance to let loose a couple of shots at goal, although the side netting.

The home side was further stung when Lilee Taylor was helped off with a knee injury, and then Moturoa signed off a good afternoon for them with Holly Kleinsman slamming a long kick home with the final play of the match.

Despite nearly conceeding twice as many goals in the season opener than any game last year, Calvert there was no need to press the panic button or change the way they are preparing the team.

Overall, the side still did a lot of good stuff, but the "sucker punch" they felt when Toscani began to work her magic caused a momentary collapse of structure, which the talented striker only had to exploit further.

"She's been pretty lethal, but they're a good team, there's no other way you can say it," said Calvert.

"There was a 15 minute period I really didn't like, and that defines the game.

"Bang, bang, bang. It's a shame and we went all over the place.

"We've just got to be better off the ball."

Whanganui's next game is also at Wembley this coming Sunday against last season's runnerup for both the league and cup in Taradale AFC, who played out a 1-1 draw with Massey University in their opening game.