LAUTOKA – Its match of the day on a sultry evening in Lautoka as Vanuatu take on New Zealand in the OFC Mens Olympic Football Tournament.  There is everything to play for as both sides vie for top spot in OFC’s Road to Beijing.

Stu Jacobs has made one change to his line-up with Costa Barbarouses given a start ahead of Greg Draper. New Zealand will start as favourites for this match but will have to watch the mercurial skills of Tafea FC midfielder Francois Sakama.

LIVE TEXT UPDATES

0′- The anthemns have been played and the teams are huddled readying for 90 minutes exciting action

 

1’- The match is underway with the expected rain holding off

 

2’- First chance for Vanuatu as Nimanian breaks clear but his shot is straight into the hands of Spoonley from close range!

 

Nimanian strikes on goal and its out for a Vanuatu corner

 

3’- New Zealand have a throw in on half way with Fowler pushing forward

 

4’- Difficult backpass from Boxall to Spoonley and the New Zealand keeper kicks clear

 

6’- The pace of the match is intense – Boxall gives up possession to Sakama; Sakama to Fowler…

 

7’- Ellensohn and Gete challenge for the ball in the Vanuatu penalty area and its cleared by Gete

 

8’- Rexley Tarivuti hacks the ball clear from a Fowler cross for Vanuatu

 

9’- Cole Peverley challenges and wins a loose ball from Francois Sakama but gives away a free kick

 

Steven Old has to lift the ball away from Joseph Namariau and it’s a corner to Vanuatu

 

10’- Sakama picks up the clearance and slips a nice ball in for Nimanian and its cleared!

 

11’- New Zealand have possession and are slowing the match down – the patient build-up pays off and it’s a corner to the Oly-Whites

12’- Vanuatu survive and Joseph Namariau takes a hopeful volley but its too far out to trouble Spoonley

 

13’- Corner to New Zealand with Dan Keat to take it – Old, Boxall and Fowler are in the six yard box as Charley Kalanasei flaps at the ball as its cleared to safety

 

14’- Barbarouses looks dangerous everytime he is in possession – Vanuatu break though but Spoonley sweeps up the danger posed by Nimanian

 

15’- GOAL! Costa Barbarouses lobs the ball past Kalanasei to make it 1-0 to New Zealand

 

16’- Vanuatu respond with a counter attack but Nimanian blazes high over the crossbar

19’- Barbarouses shot takes a deflection and it’s a corner to New Zealand – Stu Jacobs’ team are starting to show ominious form

 

20’- Shuddering tackle by Cole Peverley on Tchamaco Mahe – hard but fair

 

21’- New Zealand are dominating Vanuatu in the middle of the park with Sakama a spectator at this stage

 

21’- SUBSTITUTION 9. Craig Henderson out, 10. Jeremy Brockie in – New Zealand

 

24’- YELLOW CARD 9. Roger Joe Vanuatu for
a foul on Dan Keat

 

25’- Long ball forward runs through to Spoonley – Vanuatu look rattled at present

26’- Barbarouses pace is causing Vanuatu plenty of problems in the top third

 

27’- Aaron Scott concedes a corner Roger Joe delivers a poor ball and Steven Old clears the danger for New Zealand

 

29’- Ellensohn wins a freekick for New Zealand after a tussle with Bula Chillia but Keat overhits his delivery and it’s a goalkick

 

30’- Boxall wins a header and Sakama is fouled – Vanuatu freekick

 

31’- Sensation run from Sakama leaving Old and Boxall in his wake but his cross is missed by Namariau from six yards out

 

33’- SUBSTITUTION 12. Michel Kaltak in, 16. Tchamaco Mahe out – Vanuatu

 

34′- A Brockie throughball is overhit and not even Barbarouses can latch onto that one

 

34’- Ellensohn watches on as Kalanasei saves his shot from 12 yards out after leaving Bula Chillia in his wake

 

37’- RED CARD 7. Spencer Noal Vanuatu

 

38’- RED CARD 11. Dan Keat New Zealand

 

40’- GOAL! Barbarouses leaves his marker in hiw wakes slots a great ball in for Brockie to lash home a wonderful right footed shot from the edge of the area – its 2-0 to New Zealand

 

41’- Sakama runs at the New Zealand defence and shoots from 25 metres out over the bar

 

42’- Sakama makes a similar run but this time his shot is wider than the last

 

43’- Ellensohn on his own tries a difficult shot from an acute angle and makes Kalanasei pull off a good save at the near post

 

45’- We’re approaching the end of a highly eventful first 45 minutes at Churchill Park with both teams reduced to ten men and New Zealand two goals to the good

 

2 minutes time added on

 

45+1’- Desperate long range shot from Michel Kaltak but its nowhere near the target

 

45+2’- Sakama lofts in an easy cross for Spoonley to catch

 

HALFTIME: VAN 0 NZL 2

 

46′- No substitutions for either team – Boxall fires a header past the Vanuatu post! So close! Had that gone in that could well have been the game at 3-0..!

 

48′- Good cross from Peverley but Barbarouses header is easily claimed by Kalanasei

 

49′- Rexley Tarivuti tries his luck from long range but Spoonley is untroubled

 

50′- Ellensohn goes down in the penalty area but no foul committed

 

52′- Free-kick Vanuatu from Sakama hits the New Zealand wall but smashes the rebound over the bar

 

55′- Old takes a free-kick and releases Scott down the right whose whipped cross falls to Barbarouses but the young Wellington Phoenix strikers shot trundles safely into the arms of Charley Kalanasei

 

60′- Long range shot from Sakama but again Spoonley saves with consumate ease

 

62 ‘- SUBSTITUTION 15. Cole Tinkler in, 7. Steven Old out – New Zealand

 

65′- Vanuatu are struggling to make their possession
count with Barbarouses pace and skill a constant threat

 

67′- SUBSTITUTION 11. Jeffry Niminian out, 19. Tonny Chillia in – Vanuatu

 

68′- Vanuatu caught offside in a promising position

 

69′- Joseph Namariau fouls Shaun Van Rooyen

 

73′- Vanuatu are yelling for a penalty after the ball appears to strike a New Zealand player on the hand but referee Hauata is unmoved

 

74′- Vanuatu head wide from a corner – but only just

 

76′- Cole Tinkler plays a tidy pass into Cole Peverley and Vanuatu win back possession

 

78′- Daniel Ellensohn fires a shot over the crossbar

 

80′- Barbarouses follows suit by firing well over Spoonley’s crossbar

 

81′- SUBSTITUTION 6. Sam Messam in, 18. Costa Barbarouses out – New Zealand

 

83′- Shot by Sakama is blocked by Cole Tinkler

 

85′- Sam Messam on the break for New Zealand and the big Hawkes Bay United striker takes a tumble – no foul given

 

86′- Messam is in on goal again but his shot is blocked

 

SUBSTITUTION 13. Francois Sakama out, 2. Andrew Chichirua out – Vanuatu

 

87′- Free-kick tipped over the bar by Spoonley

 

88′- Spoonley claims the corner and sets New Zealand off on an attack

 

90′- Time added on 3 minutes

 

90+1′- Vanuatu shot flies narrowly wide

 

90+2′- Vanuatu make one final attack on New Zealand’s goal but to no avail with Messam dangerous on the counter-attack everytime he gets the ball

 

FULLTIME: VAN 0 NZL 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

OFC Men’s Olympic Football Tournament

Match no.6

Vanuatu vs. New Zealand

Churchill Park

Lautoka City Council Fiji

3 March 2008

VAN: 1. Charley KALANASEI; 3. Bula CHILLIA; 4, Rexley TARIVUTI; 7. Spencer NOAL; 9. Roger JOE; 10. Fenedy MASAVAKAULO; 11. Jeffry NIMANIAN; 13. Francois SAKAMA; 14. Joseph NAMARIAU; 16. Tchamaco MAHE; 17. Geoffrey Lego GETE.

SUBS: 2. Andrew CHICHIRUA; 5. Samuel KALAROS; 6. Wilson KAILO; 8. Brian MELAR; 12. Michel KALTACK; 15. Manu PETER; 18. Apete KARA; 19. Tonny CHILLIA; 20. Yannick MERKA [rgk].

Coach: Philemon JOHN (VAN)

Cautions:

Red Cards:

Goals:

NZL: 1. Jacob SPOONLEY; 2. Aaron SCOTT; 5. Michael BOXALL; 7. Steven OLD; 8. Cole PEVERLEY; 9. Craig HENDERSON; 11. Dan KEAT; 12. Hone FOWLER; 14. Shaun VAN ROOYEN; 17. Daniel ELLENSOHN; 18. Costa BARBAROUSES.

SUBS: 3. Phil EDGINTON; 4. Jason HAYNE; 6. Sam MESSAM; 10. Jeremy BROCKIE; 13. Joel MATHEWS; 15. Cole TINKLER; 16. Greg DRAPER; 20. Liam LITTLE [rgk]; 21. Roy BELL [rgk].

Coach: Stu JACOBS (NZL)

Cautions:

Red Cards:

Goals:

Referee: Norbert HAUATU (TAH)

Assistant Referee 1: Salesh CHAND (FIJ)

Assistant Referee 2: Phillipe REVEL (TAH)

Fourth Official: Rakesh VARMAN (FIJ)