Photo Credit OFC Media via Phototek
Tournament favourites New Zealand have recovered from conceding an early goal to beat Fiji 7-1 and qualify for the semi-finals at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship in Tahiti.
New Zealand were made to work hard from the start and found themselves chasing the game when Fiji took a shock 21st minute lead at a sunny Stade Fautaua in Papeete.
Martin Bullock’s New Zealand side should have taken the lead in the first minute when Aaron Cartwright delivered a cross into the box and Melvin Prakash fumbled in the Fiji goal, only for Rakshan Suresh to fire over from close range.
Five minutes later the big striker forced a quality save from Prakash who made up for his earlier mistake.
The Fijians were competitive in the first quarter and went in front when left back Krishna Samy Jnr put a long ball through for striker Veleni Rasorewa to run on to, overpowerinng New Zealand captain Alex Lienard before poking the ball past a despairing Henry Murfitt in the Kiwi goal.
The lead was short-lived however as Lienard put a long ball through for Aaron Cartwright to run onto and the tournament’s leading goalscorer stabbed the ball past the on-rushing Prakash in the Fiji goal.
Justin Cardozo put New Zealand in front in the 35th minute after Prakash couldn’t hold a left footed strike from a Cartwright free kick, tapping in the rebound.
Jack Perniskie almost made it 3-1 moments later when he latched on to a spilled cross from the ‘keeper but fired over the crossbar.
New Zealand had Fiji rattled and they scored twice more before the break, the first a tap in from Luke Brooke-Smith who then used his blistering pace to outstrip the defence and slot home New Zealand’s fourth of the half.
The onslaught continued after the break as Cartwright bagged his second with the keeper off his line and failing to clear a cross.
Fiji came close to a second after Josaia Raikoso put through a good ball for Rishal Shankar to run onto, but he fired over the bar.
Brooke-Smith then scored the goal of the match for his hat-trick nine minutes from full-time. It was a cracking strike into the right-hand corner from the edge of the box to seal an emphatic victory.
Substitute Benjamin Perez Baldoni added a seventh deep into stoppage-time, finding time and space in the area before finishing confidently.
New Zealand: 7 (Aaron CARTWRIGHT 27’, 50’, Justin CARDOZO 35’, Luke BROOKE-SMITH 43’, 45’, 81′, Benjamin PEREZ BALDONI 90+3′)
Fiji: 1 (Veleni RASOREWA 21’)
HT 4-1