ALBANY, New Zealand -- It took New Zealand
more than an hour to unlock a resolute Cook Islands' defence on
the way to a scrappy 2-0 victory in the World Cup Oceania zone
group two clash on Friday.
Earlier, the Solomon Islands overwhelmed Vanuatu 7-2 to send
them top of the group on goal difference ahead of their clash
against second-placed New Zealand on Monday.
The top team from the five-team tournament goes through to
meet Australia in a playoff, the winner of which plays the
fifth-placed side in the South American qualifiers for a place
at the 2002 finals in South Korea and Japan.
The Cook Islands -- overwhelming underdogs in this five
nation group having lost their first two games 9-1 and 8-1 --
gave New Zealand no respect and their goalkeeper Tony Jamieson
and central defender Heath Dickinson were outstanding.
New Zealand peppered their opponents goal with shots in the
first half but could not make the breakthrough.
The addition of Arran Lines and Simon Elliot after the break
gave the home side even more dominance.
Noah Hickey finally broke the deadlock with a nicely
directed header from Lines's cross after 65 minutes and added
the second a minute later.
New Zealand coach Ken Dugdale, while conceding the match was
a poor one, said his team had achieved their main objective.
"We won, didn't we? We could lose with panache or win by
playing badly and I know what I'd rather have. We were on a
hiding to nothing. Had we won 15-0 people would have said you
should have won 15-0," he said.
Solomon Islands rally from early goal to win
The Solomon Islands had to come from behind for their
victory after Richard Iwai had opened the scoring for Vanuatu in
the ninth minute -- his fifth goal of the tournament.
Vivian Wickham, making his international debut, equalised in
the 18th minute and after that it was all Solomons, but their
dominance failed to bring any more goals until the opening
minutes of the second half.
At halftime Vanuatu coach Carlos Bazutti substituted
goalkeeper David Chilia with Presley Garae.
The first three times the unfortunate Garae touched the ball
was to pick it up from the back of the net after goals in quick
succession from Commins Menapi, Wickham and Stanley Waita.
That burst killed off Vanuatu and a goal from Jack Samani,
another from Menapi and a contribution from Batram Suri
completed the rout.
Iwai scored his sixth goal of the competition in the last
minute as a consolation for Vanuatu.
Solomon Islands coach George Cowie said he was concerned his
side had conceded the first goal against the Cook Islands in
their opening match and now Vanuatu.
"We could do without those shaky starts," Cowie said. "You
don't want to put yourself under that sort of pressure, but we
came back well."
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