OFC News

New Caledonia have demolished Samoa 5-0 at Trusts Stadium yesterday with a disciplined performance that will have Fiji and New Zealand looking over their shoulders as the race to qualify for the FIFA U20 Men's World Cup - Canada 2007 heads towards its climax. New Caledonia were simply too strong, too fast and too clinical in front of goal as the hapless Samoans did their best to hold out against the pace and skill of Ulrich Bowen and Jean Wahnyamalla.

Samoa has had little to cheer about at this tournament but two individuals can be proud of their gutsy displays. Damian Fonoti and Ionatana Tino continue to impress against the odds with the versatile Fonoti, in particular, performing with distinction. The diminutive Tino has also played well given the paucity of opportunities he has had to live off.

But the truth is that Samoa has been largely outclassed at this tournament. Jean Wahnyamalla began the rout after just 3 minutes as New Caledonia exploited Samoa's lack of pace out wide. New Caledonia skipper Jean Christophe Xenie put his team further in front in the 17th minute and the game was put beyond Samoa with Ulrich Bowen helping himself to a brace. Samoa conceded a frustrating own goal when goalkeeper Motu Hafoka parried a long range shot from Wahnyamalla before conspiring with one of his own defenders to bundle the ball over the line.

Trailing 5-0, Samoa began to open the game up further pushing Fonoti into the frontline and the bustling utility man asked serious questions of Xenie and his resolute defence. The spirited Samoa spurned several decent chances to register a goal summing up their tournament to date.

In match two, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu served up a thrilling encounter. Vanuatu raced into an early two goal lead thanks to goals from Simon Molbet and Brian Melar within the first quarter of an hour. Joseph Namariau ran the Solomon Islands midfield duo of Molis Gagame and Gibson Hosea Purasi ragged. Solomon Islands struggled to retain possession for any length of time with Gagame and Purasi continually harassed by the Vanuatu midfield into giving up possession. The surrendered possession allowed Molbet and Melar to run at Arnold Keni and Welshman Houkarawa and take them out of their safety zone in the centre of defence to the flanks creating gaps and holes for others to exploit.

But Solomon Islands slowly got back into the game with Gagame hooking a ball through for the impressive Tony Otini who smashed a brilliant swerving volley beyond goalkeeper Altred Malas just before halftime. It was a glorious strike and offered the Solomon Islands the perfect platform for a second-half recovery.

This was further emphasised with the introduction of Lenson Bisili. Bisili gave Solomon Islands additional craft, creativity and urgency as he buzzed about the midfield slipping measured passes and through balls for Joachim Rande and Joses Nawo to exploit. Rande - virtually anonymous in the first half - became a different player with Bisili running the game. Purasi, too, transformed his first half efforts with an inspiring performance. It was little wonder, then, that Rande scored the equaliser and, arguably, the goal of the tournament when he struck an acrobatic left-foot volley that bent and fizzed past a full-stretched Altred Malas and into the roof of the net some 20 yards out on an acute angle.

Vanuatu was reeling after the strike and content to launch the ball anywhere as the Solomon Islands tried to grab a decisive third. With just seconds left Solomon Islands substitute John Bentley Nalangu broke into the Vanuatu goal box and latched onto a Rande cross but with just Malas to beat scuffed his shot into the keeper with referee Peter O'Leary blowing for full time just moments later.

The draw leaves both nations World Cup hopes hanging by a thread but with still highly significant roles to play in the remaining fixtures.

New Zealand has closed the gap on Fiji to just two points following a lacklustre 2-0 win over a compact Tahiti side last night. New Zealand began the match with an urgency lacking in their previous matches with Kayne Vincent and Chris James sparking up most of New Zealand's attacking play.

However, Tahiti's 4-5-1 formation stood resolute for the first half-hour until James whipped in a wicked cross for New Zealand skipper Dan Keat to fire a powerful header past Alan Uparu from almost point blank range. The goal was a significant blow to Tahiti's game plan though Lorenzo Tehau worked tirelessly in midfield his team were rarely able to penetrate past gangly lone striker Roihau Degage.

Tahiti provided the best move of the match just before halftime when Teiki Wan Phook, Roihau Degage, Lorenzo Tehau and Matahi Hauata strung together a sweeping passing movement that had New Zealand scrambling. New Zealand's defence led by Jacob Spoonley, Michael Boxall and Phil Edginton repelled the move and were instantly on the attack through Craig Henderson.

Henderson - one of the few New Zealand players to impress on a consistent basis at this tournament - went on a mazy run before unleashing a powerful right foot shot that cannoned off the inside left upright before ricocheting off the right hand upright and to safety.

Tahiti seemed happy to trail 1-0 at the break and for the first 20 minutes of the second-half appeared to lack a sense of adventure as pressure built on New Zealand to get a second goal and make the game safe. New Zealand took advantage of this cagey approach in the 69th minute when Chris James - at the centre of New Zealand's attacking impetus - cracked a swerving right foot volley that dipped with enough power to blast past the soft hands of Alan Uparu and into the back of the Tahitian net.

The 2-0 result lifted New Zealand into second place on the table with seven points. Fiji leads the table with a 100% record. New Caledonia's 5-0 demolition of Samoa keeps them in third place with six points while the Solomon Islands - disappointing in their capitulation against Fiji - remain in the hunt after playing out a dramatic 2-2 draw with Vanuatu.