The reigning champions managed to see off a spirited effort from New Zealand to win 8-4 and sit above Vanuatu on goal difference.
Tahiti meanwhile helped their chances with a 4-0 victory over Tuvalu to go second equal with hosts Fiji who have a game in hand after their bye today.
New Zealand, New Caledonia and Tuvalu meanwhile are yet to pick up their first point in the tournament.
But the Futsal Whites will take plenty of heart from today’s performance having closed out the first period leading 3-2.
“I’m very pleased,” says New Zealand coach Matt Chandler. “We’re a team that’s been together seven weeks and they’ve been through a world cup.
“We went out strong and actually won the first half so I’m delighted with 50% of the game. But in the second half they really showed their class and were superior to us.
“But it’s great for us now, we know what we’ve got to do next year and I think we’ve got a great chance to give them a good game.”
Kurukuru head coach Dickson Kadau admits it was a tough challenge.
“The boys are all young so they are not mature enough to control the whole game. They put the pressure on us and we lost our game plan in the first half. Our strategy in the second half was more mental. I told them to use their heads and play smart. That’s what we did and the boys are confident now for the rest of the tournament.”
Tahiti also have reason to celebrate after their three points against Tuvalu kept them in contention.
Coach Heitapu Hunter says it was a good way to bounce back from their 2-0 loss against Fiji on Sunday.
“Yesterday we were wary of Roy Krishna and their captain Hassan so we stayed too defensive,” says Hunter.
“Against Tuvalu it was a better effort. We’ve come back with a win so we’ll take confidence into the next game. But I think we still need to get forward more.”
Tahiti square off tomorrow against New Caledonia who came out the wrong side of nine-goal thriller against Vanuatu earlier in the day.
Jack Vira Ala sunk New Caledonian hearts with a quick double in the dying stages to grab maximum points and join Solomon Islands at the top of the table. Vanuatu will be looking not only for a win against New Zealand tomorrow but also for goals as they try and chase down the Kurukuru in this round-robin competition.
To download the match summary Vanuatu-New Caledonia, click here.
To download the match summary Tuvalu-Tahiti, click here.
To download the match summary Solomon Islands-New Zealand, click here.
To download the competition summary, click here.