A goal in first half injury time by Fiji wonder kid Roy Krishna was enough to seal a rare 1-0 win over New Zealand XI and square the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) `Football for Life’ series in
Lautoka today.

The surface at Churchill Park meant both teams were able to get the ball down and play a more attractive style of football with New Zealand XI skipper Andy Barron turning in a composed and
accomplished midfield display.

Fiji had the better of the first half with Roy Krishna denied by Roy Bell after Krishna latched onto a lobbed pass from Josaia Bukalidi before juggling the ball over Aaron Scott and firing his shot
directly at the Australian-based Kiwi custodian.

It was Krishna who fired Fiji ahead two minutes into injury time in the first half when a goal-kick from Tamanisau was won in the air by Pita Rabo whose header found the fleet-footed Labasa striker
who trundled a shot past an indecisive Roy Bell and into the far corner of the net to the delight of the home crowd.

Both teams made a raft of substitutions in the second half with the constant stream of changes disrupting the flow of the match.

New Zealand’s best chance to score in the second-half came when a Jeff Campbell free kick eluded Fiji defenders Peni Finau and Malakai Tiwa and whistled across the face of Simione Tamanisau’s goal
with Cole Peverley failing to make contact by the narrowest of margins.

Fiji constructed two further chances to score with the introduction of Maciu Dunadamu and Osea Vakatalesau – two big, pacy, physical strikers – tested the young New Zealand rearguard of Aaron Scott
and Steven Old.

Pita Rabo – who scored a spectacular consolation goal in the first `Football for Life’ match in Suva – was guilty of missing both opportunities with Roy Bell and the New Zealand goal at his
mercy.

The first came when Fiji pounced on the counter-attack with Rabo set clear after a through ball by Viliame Toma. New Zealand substitute David Samson gave hot pursuit only for Rabo to screw his shot
wide.

Rabo’s second miss came after he played a neat one-two with Dunadamu who back heeled the ball into the pathway of Rabo only for the muscular forward to toe-poke a shot directly at Bell with David
Samson again doing enough to avert the danger.

The final whistle heralded a rare victory for Fiji over a New Zealand XI yet gave both nations a boost ahead of respective FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games qualification programmes.

Fiji coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti was understandably happy with the victory but lamented not having two more fixtures to prepare for the XIII South Pacific Games Men’s Football Tournament – Samoa
2007.

“I am happy with the result but I wish we had more games to prepare before we go to Samoa. Roy Krishna is a good player with a good attitude. Roy always listens and wants to learn and today we saw
the best of him.

I am pleased and we will enjoy this result but we have a lot of work to do before we play in the South Pacific Games. I think both teams did very well and it is good to come together for such a
worthy cause as `Football for Life’,” Buzzetti said.

New Zealand coach Jonathan Gould was equally happy with the `Football for Life’ matches ahead of next year’s Olympic Games qualification tournament.

“We learned a lot about a few players in these two games and had some impressive performances. I’m pleased we could also help out with `Football for Life’ and the tsunami relief fund for the people
of the Solomon Islands,” Gould said.

Proceeds from OFC `Football for Life’ will go toward Vodafone Fiji’s `Feed our Vatukoula Children’ project and the Solomons Islands relief fund.

FIJ: 1.Simione TAMANISAU; 2. Alvin AVNIESH (6. Petero DAUNISEKA 73′); 3. Waisake SABUTU (2. Avinesh WARAN 46′ (4. Robert WISE 87′)); 8. Pita BALEITOGA (7. Raj KUMAR 87′); 9. Josaia BUKALIDI (10. Osea
VAKATALESAU 55′); 12. Peni FINAU; 15. Samuela VULA (14. Viliame TOMA 59′); 16. Malakai TIWA; 17. Malakai KANIHEWE; 18. Pita RABO; 19. Roy KRISHNA (Raj KUMAR 73′).

SUBSTITUTES: 11. Ratu Inosi VATUCICILA, 20. Shamal KUMAR.

YELLOW CARDS: 8. Pita BALEITOGA 48′, 18. Pita RABO 55′, 13. Maciu DUNADAMU 92’+.

RED CARDS: None

GOALS: Roy KRISHNA 45+2′.

NZL: 20. Roy BELL; 2. Joel MATHEWS (Cole PEVERLEY 46′); 3. James PRITCHETT(Sam MATHEWS 93+); 5. Steven OLD; 6. Sam MESSAM (8. Stu HOGG 72′); 7. Andy BARRON; 9. Craig HENDERSON (Jeremy BROCKIE
53′);12. Daniel ELLENSOHN; 11. Jeff CAMPBELL; 15. Aaron SCOTT; 16. Sam JASPER (David SAMSON 46′).

SUBSTITUTES: 1. Jacob SPOONLEY.

YELLOW CARDS: 10. Jeremy BROCKIE 62′.

RED CARDS: None

GOALS: None

REFEREE: Leone RAKAROI (FIJ)

ASSISTANT REFEREE 1: Rohitesh DAYAL (FIJ)

ASSISTANT REFEREE 2: Ashwin KUMAR (FIJ)

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Dinesh CHAND (FIJ)