New Zealand U-17 has ended the three match international programme with a resounding 9-0 destruction over lacklustre Tahiti with Costa Barbarouses producing a four goal haul.
Jacob Mathews and Tyson Brandt scored a brace with Corey Chettleburgh also on target as New Zealand ran amok against a slipshod Tahiti.
Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta was extremely disappointed with his team’s performance particularly after they had started the series so well.
“We have a team with raw potential in a technical and physical sense but our mentality was not there in the third game and that is disappointing.”
Etaeta disagreed that three matches was one too many for his side arguing that the opportunity to play and train in another country outweighed the lopsided scoreline.
“This has been a rare chance for a team from Tahiti to be involved in developing in a new environment and the value of this will perhaps be seen later on. Naturally, the final result hurts particularly after we competed so well in the first game and in the first half of the second game.”
New Zealand took the lead after just 31 seconds through Barbarouses and the Kiwis never looked back as they raced into a 3-0 lead after just 6 minutes.
Tahiti’s afternoon never looked like improving and the goal threat they carried in match one and match two was completely absent as New Zealand ruthlessly locked down the midfield and played rapier through balls in behind their opponents defence almost at will.
Tahiti finished the game with eleven men for the first time in the three match series but that will be scant consolation given the nature of their capitulation.
New Zealand coach Colin Tuaa will have a tough time deciding on a final squad for the OFC U-17 Championship with such an emphatic series win illustrating a strong squad in red hot form.