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070702
All Whites Advance To Semis In Emphatic Fashion
by Jeremy Ruane
Host nation New Zealand are the first team to advance to the semi-finals of the 2002 Oceania Nations Cup tournament in Auckland, after recording an emphatic 9-1 victory over Papua New Guinea at North Harbour Stadium on July 7.
There was still plenty of room for improvement from Mick Waitt’s All Whites, however, as their play was at times sloppy in a match which was all over as a contest within ten minutes of the kick-off.
That was all the time it took for Chris Killen to stamp his authority on proceedings, as he secured a 2-0 advantage for the All Whites with as many goals in as many minutes. After going close in the sixth minute, the outstanding Aaran Lines set him up for his opening effort three minutes later, while a free-kick to the far post from the peerless Jeff Campbell invited Killen to pick his spot with the goal at his mercy.
After Campbell had had a shot blocked by Fred Hans - he had earlier slid one wide of the target following more creativity from Lines, Killen was denied what appeared a clear-cut penalty in the fourteenth minute, when he was unceremoniously dumped in the penalty area. Fijian referee Leone Rakaroi quite rightly gained no sympathy whatsoever from New Zealand’s small but vocal supporters when deeming that the hat-trick hunting striker had dived!!
Both goalkeepers were called into action soon after, David Aua saving from Ryan Nelsen, and James Bannatyne denying PNG’s never-say-die midfielder Desmond Sow, who, soon after, almost pulled a goal back for the team coached by former All Whites assistant coach Steve Cain. Sadly for Sow, his delicate twenty-five yard chip cannoned back into the hands of the stranded Bannatyne off the post.
It was a warning shot the All Whites were quick to heed, for they forced Aua to produce two fine saves before the half-hour mark, from Mark Burton and Lines. They also breached his line on two more occasions, Campbell’s stooping 27th minute header and Killen’s hat-trick-clinching glancing header sixty seconds later both finding the net thanks to pinpoint crosses from Lines.
Aua was fortunate to stay on the field in the 34th minute, after felling Killen, who was in the clear. The only thing that saved the goalkeeper was the striker’s getting to his feet and carrying on his pursuit of the ball before referee Rakaroi had a chance to blow his whistle.
Burton then failed to crown a lovely flowing move from the All Whites with the quality finish it merited, while from the resulting goal kick, PNG charged down the other end of the park and gained a penalty, when the Fijian official harshly adjudged Duncan Oughton to have felled Sow as the midfielder charged into the All Whites’ penalty area.
To add insult to injury for the defender, he copped a yellow card for his troubles, and could only look on in disbelief as Joe Aisa sent Bannatyne the wrong way from the spot - 4-1.
Aua then began his one-man "Human Wall" act to ensure that that scoreline remained unchanged until half-time. Burton, on two occasions, Lines and Ryan Nelsen all had reason to rue the goalkeeper’s presence before the interval, while Killen was similarly miffed five minutes after the resumption, although his was a lazy finish on this occasion - the
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endeavours of Gerard Davis and Lines, in creating the opening, deserved far greater reward.
The Manchester City striker responded by potting his fourth goal of the day - New Zealand’s fifth - sixty seconds later. Oughton did all the hard work, rampaging down the right and rounding Aua before crossing into the goalmouth, where Killen virtually walked the ball into the net.
Two minutes later, Nelsen got in on the act, an emphatic finish from eight yards rewarding Oughton’s industry, this time on the left-hand side of the pitch, which was cutting up badly following the intense showers which have battered Auckland in recent days / weeks / months (Aucklanders, please select the word which best applies to finish this sentence)!!
After this, Oughton and Killen were given a break, and the All Whites seemed to lose their way for a period, the intensity gone from their game. Lines, in particular, was still providing sparks of creativity aplenty, but three quality goalscoring opportunities in half-an-hour - from Nelsen, Lee Jones (cleared off the line by Jonah Malus) and Raf de Gregorio (saved by Aua) - rather tells its own tale.
PNG had their moments during this lull in the action, with Hans and Sow both going close without giving Bannatyne overly much cause for concern, but with five minutes left on the clock, the All Whites decided enough was enough, and finished the game with a three-goal flourish.
Jonathan Perry’s buccaneering run down the right resulted in a cross for Campbell, whose looping header arced over Aua and just under the crossbar to give the goalscorer his fourth goal in an All White shirt, just two less than his father, Clive, achieved in his twenty-seven appearances for New Zealand.
Within seconds, de Gregorio saw his drive cleared off the line by Aisa, as PNG wilted under an onslaught which was to produce an eighth goal, in the 87th minute. Burton was the marksman, his deft finish due reward for Campbell’s creativity and made-to-measure cross.
Still the All Whites charged, as they went all out for a record victory over Papua New Guinea, a nation they had played just twice before, winning 7-0 in Auckland in a 1997 World Cup qualifier, after losing 1-0 in Port Moresby. Ivan Vicelich was denied by Aua, but set up Nelsen with the rebound, only for the combative midfielder to blaze his effort over the bar.
Two minutes into stoppage time, the rout was wrapped up in fine style. De Gregorio was given the honour of scoring his first goal for the All Whites by Campbell, who, despite being on a hat-trick, and in a position where he could easily have scored himself, presented his team-mate with the chance to smash the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net, and round off a 9-1 win in emphatic fashion.
New Zealand: Bannatyne; Oughton (booked, 35) (Perry, 54), Zoricich (Smith, 46), Jones, Davis; Campbell, Burton, Nelsen, Vicelich, Lines; Killen (de Gregorio, 61)
Papua New Guinea: Aua; Komboi, Aisa (booked, 78), Hans, Tomda (Kamake, 58); Elizah (Gule, 46), Malus (booked, 60), Sow, Davani; Francis (Lohai, 46), Daniel
Referee: Leone Rakaroi (Fiji)
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