AUCKLAND CITY FC 7 SOBOU FC0

Auckland City pulverized Papua New Guinea’s Sobou FC only to be overshadowed by Tahiti champions AS Pirae on the opening night of the 2006 Oceania Club Championship at Albany on Wednesday.

The New Zealand Football Championship winners more than played their part in the opening night goal feast with Team Wellington import Graham Little on target twice in a 7-0 thumping of Sobou.

But Auckland find themselves second in group A after AS Pirea opened the FIFA Club World Cup qualifying tournament with a 10-1 demolition of Solomon Island champions Marist FC. Pirae captain Naea Bennett staked an early claim for the tournament’s golden boot title with four goals while the impressive Jose Hmae added a hat-trick.

Auckland were never troubled in a result that bettered their 6-1 win over Sobou at last year’s OFC Club Championship.

But coach Allan Jones and the small smattering of Auckland supporters were left frustrated as the fancied NZFC champions missed nearly twice as many guilt-edged chances as they converted.

Jones’ usual suspects – South African marksman Keryn Jordan and Grant Young – gave Auckland a 2-0 halftime lead with 11th and 38 minute strikes. But it should have been more comfortable with Young having a 42nd minute penalty saved before steering a one-on-one chance with Sobou goalkeeper David Aua wide in first half stoppage time.

Liam Mulrooney made it 3-0 when he sent a looping header over Geasa in the 53rd minute before halftime substitute Little scored the first goal of his double in the 66th minute.

Little’s scored came after his younger brother Bryan – also make his Auckland debut – got on the scoresheet when he stabbed home Mulrooney’s clever cross-goal chip in the 69th minute.

Hawke’s Bay United import Jason Hayne then completed the rout in injury time when he tucked home a rebound off the post from Bryan Little.

“It’s a good start,” Jones said.

“I’m pleased with keeping a clean-sheet and with the seven goals which keeps our goal differential up there. What I was very displeased with was the number of chances we created in the first half that we didn’t finish.”

Jones praised Auckland’s debutants afterwards.

“The players that came on, in particular the Little boys, performed well and with Hayne they &091;importantly&093; gathered goals. If you’re going to go forward in this tournament you’re going to need goal scorers.”

Auckland face Marist FC on Saturday before their likely group A decider against AS Pirae on Tuesday.

“That &091;the Pirae fixture&093; is going to be the big match in this group but I think we’ve got to look at the other group as well and not least YoungHeart Manawatu who I think will do very well,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, YoungHeart Manawatu open their title tilt against Fiji’s Eagles United at 7.30pm on Thursday but will be without Andy Barron with the midfielder ruling himself out of the tournament in the hope his injured left knee will heal in time for the All Whites tour of Europe later this month.

Thursday’s early match at North Harbour Stadium pits Vanuatu champions Tafea FC against last year’s beaten finalists AS Magenta (New Caledonia).