Heyman struck just before the break to score the crucial goal and give new Matildas head coach Hesterine de Reus a victory in her first match.

The Football Ferns started the brighter of the two teams, stretching the Matildas defence with a procession of raking cross field balls and looking to get their wingers in behind the home rear guard.

The tactic met with limited success but, on one occasion, midfielder Amber Hearn arrived to volley towards goal only for Matildas goalkeeper Brianna Davey to make a sprawling save as the visitors dominated the first 10 minutes.

It took the Matildas a quarter of an hour to settle but, when they did, they too enjoyed spreading the game with Elise Kellond-Knight and Stephanie Catley finding space out wide only to provide a disappointing end product. But with Clare Polkinghorne pulling the strings from deep, the hosts were beginning to threaten.

Even so it was New Zealand that had the best chance of the opening quarter after a slip from Alanna Kennedy allowed Sarah Gregorius a free run on goal.

The striker kept her head to dance around Davey only for the Melbourne Victory custodian to scramble back and save the resultant shot, pushing the ball round the post for a corner.

New Zealand was to rue that miss as the Matildas took the lead four minutes before the interval.

A through ball seemed to be over hit, but Heyman showed her poachers instinct by turning the half-chance into a goal.

The Canberra United star crunched into a fifty-fifty challenge with Kiwi stopper Jenny Bindon on the edge of the penalty area and emerged with the ball, stroking it gleefully into the empty net to break the deadlock and give the Matildas a narrow half-time lead.

With almost constant drizzle during the second half, the playing surface became slick and slippery which made for a fast-paced match as the ball fizzed off the turf in the testing conditions.

With the rain falling, the match became a midfield battle in which the Matildas’ Emily Van Egmond stood out with her lung-bursting, tireless running.

Both teams made a number of substitutions as the game wore on with chances at a premium and, as a result, de Reus sent on Samantha Kerr and Emily Gielnik to bolster her front line.

New Zealand’s defence stood solid though with Captain Abby Erceg and fellow centre-back Anna Green a redoubtable last line of defence.

The best chance fell to Kerr with 13 minutes remaining but, having shown her acceleration to skip away from her marker, the Sydney FC forward dragged her shot across the face of goal when well-placed.

Shortly afterwards Katrina Gorry drew a smart low save from Bindon as the Westfield Matildas threatened a second.

New Zealand came close to an equaliser late on but Polkinghorne blocked a half-shot on the turn and the home team held on for the win.

MATCH DETAILS

Westfield Matildas        1 (Michelle Heyman 41’)
Football Ferns              0
AIS Athletics  Track, Bruce, ACT
Referee:  Kate Jacewicz
Assistant Referees: Allyson Flynn & Laura Moya
Fourth Official: Peta McCallum

Westfield Matildas line-up: 1. Brianna DAVEY, 2. Teigen ALLEN, 4. Clare POLKINGHORNE (c), 6. Servet UZUNLAR, 8. Elise KELLOND-KNIGHT, 10. Emily VAN EGMOND, 13. Tameka BUTT (19. Katrina GORRY 73’), 14. Alanna KENNEDY, 15. Amy CHAPMAN (20. Samantha KERR 57’), 16. Stephanie CATLEY, 23. Michelle HEYMAN (22. Emily GIELNIK 46’)

Substitutes not used: 3. Kim CARROLL, 5. Laura ALLEWAY, 7. Teresa POLIAS, 12. Vedrana POPOVIC, 18. Mackenzie ARNOLD, 21. Sham KHAMIS

Yellow Cards: 2. Teigen ALLEN, 13. Tameka BUTT (Westfield Matildas)

Football Ferns line-up: 1. Jenny BINDON, 2. Ria PERCIVAL (19. Holly PATTERSON 78’), 3. Anna GREEN, 4. Katie HOYLE, 5. Abby ERCEG, 9. Amber HEARN, 10. Sarah GREGORIUS (17. Hannah WILKINSON 55’), 12. Betsy HASSETT, 15. Rebekah STOTT, 18. Katie BOWEN (16. Annalie LONGO 46’), 20. Helen COLLINS (13. Rosie WHITE 71’)

Substitutes not used: 6. Megan LEE, 21. Erin NAYLER, 22. Sarah McLAUGHLIN

Yellow Cards: nil