The All Whites are just ninety minutes away from becoming the first nation in the history of the Oceania Football Confederation to earn direct entry to the FIFA World Cup Finals, after thrashing Fiji 7-0 in their OFC World Cup Qualifying semi-final before 20,947 fans at Wellington's Sky Stadium on March 21. New Caledonia is the only barrier between Darren Bazeley's charges and a long-held ambition of everyone connected with football in New Zealand, with both contenders in the Eden Park final assured of a second chance of attending the big dance in North America next year via a qualification play-off, should defeat befall them at New Zealand's national stadium on March 24. With the New Caledonians having defeated Tahiti 3-0 in the earlier all-Francophone semi-final, the All Whites knew who would be awaiting them in the final before they kicked off against the "Bula Boys", and the locals wasted little time in pressing their claims to join "Les Cagous" at Eden Park in Monday's qualifying final. Just three minutes into the contest, Sarpreet Singh split the Fijian defence with a delicious pass onto which the overlapping Liberato Cacace strode, the fullback delivering a low first-time cross which was spilled by Fijian goalkeeper Jerome Narayan. Fiji scrambled the ball to safety on this occasion, but were afforded no such opportunity in the sixth minute as the All Whites opened the scoring. Tim Payne fed Singh on the right flank, the playmaker cutting inside before delivering an inch-perfect cross having spotted Chris Wood's run off the last defender. New Zealand's captain did the rest, guiding his header beyond Narayan and into the far corner of the net to the delight of those present. There was a sense of "We have lift-off" with that goal, and within five minutes, the home team twice went close to doubling their advantage. Scott Wara did just enough to put off Wood after Callum McCowatt and Singh combined to play him in through the inside-right channel, while Matt Garbett sent a header flashing past the far post on receipt of Cacace's eleventh minute free-kick. Fiji responded to these scares via Tevita Waranaivalu, who robbed Garbett of possession on halfway and set sail downfield before lashing a twenty-five yarder over Max Crocombe's crossbar - Rob Sherman's side weren't here to merely make up the numbers. But they soon found themselves two goals down, New Zealand doubling their lead in the sixteenth minute while the Fijian ranks were temporarily reduced, with Thomas Dunn receiving treatment on the sideline for an injury which ultimately prompted his early withdrawal from the fray. Joe Bell spread play wide to Cacace, who, in turn, brought Marko Stamenic into play. He worked a one-two with Singh before wriggling past two opponents to get to the by-line, from where he pulled the ball back for Singh to steer home from six yards. The All Whites had Fiji on the ropes now, and after Payne, McCowatt and Singh all failed to make contact with an inviting cross from Cacace in the 21st minute, the contest was effectively over two minutes later, the result of Payne whipping in a free-kick which was turned into his own net by Wara, under pressure from Tyler Bindon. 3-0 became 4-0 in the 32nd minute via a superb move. Bell fed Bindon, who picked out McCowatt on the left on halfway. He slipped a pass inside to Stamenic, who worked a slick one-two with Cacace before threading the needle with a peach of a pass into the stride of the overlapping figure of McCowatt. He raced to the by-line before pulling the ball back to Singh, who steered the ball across the penalty area, beyond all bar the fast-arriving figure of Payne. From ten yards, he fair battered the ball past Narayan, his first goal for the All Whites in twelve years. And they wanted more! Stamenic saw two shots blocked after Singh broke down the left, while Bell's pass to Cacace saw the fullback let fly, only to see his 41st minute shot diverted onto the post by Gabirele Matamisiga - a let-off for Fiji. The "Bula Boys" were buoyed by that escape, and looked to take advantage of it at the other end of the park, Leroy Jennings' twenty-five yarder drawing Crocombe's first save of the match in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Before it was blown, however, the All Whites attacked again, Cacace careering down the left before delivering a cross which Singh cleverly

dummied, allowing McCowatt to let fly. Narayan dived to his left to deny him and ensure the scoreline remained 4-0 throughout the interval. Straight from the kick-off in the second half, Singh sent the ball downtown and found Wood powering through at pace. The Nottingham Forest striker rounded Narayan but was forced wide by the goalkeeper, who looked on with relief as Wood's acute-angled drive flashed across the face of goal and narrowly past the far post. There was no such good fortune for Fiji when Wood next threatened, in the 56th minute. Garbett played the ball wide to Payne, who picked out his captain with a measured cross which Wood headed goalwards, his effort having too much power behind it for Narayan to prevent from crossing the line. Four minutes later, it was 6-0, and the same combination was responsible. Cacace and Bell combined for the benefit of Singh on the right, but his shot was blocked. The ball rebounded to Payne, who spotted Wood ghosting in around the back of the defence and delivered a pinpoint cross which allowed New Zealand's most prolific marksman to head home from point blank range and complete his hat-trick. He was withdrawn from the fray soon after, and was later booked for exiting the technical area without permission - a small price to pay for some public relations activity which made many fans in the stand very happy as he signed autographs aplenty and posed for selfies galore. On the field, the All Whites carried on - they weren't satisfied with six goals, and rightly. Bell fed Elijah Just, who invited fellow substitute Costa Barbarouses to unleash a ten-yarder which narrowly cleared the crossbar. Twenty minutes from time, Barbarouses rattled the side-netting after Stamenic and Singh had played him in through the inside-left channel. But a Boxall stumble in the 73rd minute saw Jennings send Christopher Wasasala storm down the left, taking on three defenders before unleashing a shot which deceived Crocombe and crashed against the far post. A let-off for the All Whites, one to which they responded by storming down the pitch and making it 7-0 mere seconds later. Payne, Just, Cacace, McCowatt and Bell combined, the midfield anchor playing the ball through to Cacace, who had continued his run out of defence. The fullback spread play wide to substitute Francis de Vries, who, despite being serenaded by boos from one-eyed Wellington Phoenix fans - a moronic minority who resent the impact de Vries' club, Auckland FC, has made on the A-League, which, until this season, has been Wellington's personal fiefdom for the thick end of two decades - delivered a gem of a first-time cross which was expertly steered into the roof of the net by Barbarouses from ten yards. More goals were sought thereafter. Narayan kept out a twenty-five yard free-kick from McCowatt, while Semi Nabenu blocked a Ben Waine drive in the 83rd minute, moments before Fiji survived a real scare five minutes from time. Stamenic's sharp turn brought McCowatt into play once more, and he found de Vries ranging up on the left, from where he pulled a low cross back into the striker's stride. McCowatt's ten-yarder was parried by Narayan, with the ball rebounding to Barbarouses, who couldn't believe his eyes as his shot was blocked on the line by Wara. An eighth goal should have materialised in the 88th minute, Waine having been felled by Narayan in the penalty area as he pursued a through ball from Just. But the victim of the foul failed to extract revenge from twelve yards, firing wide of the target despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. 7-0 was the All Whites' lot, then, a more than satisfactory return from their night's work, which concluded with a late-night flight back to New Zealand's home of football, with the national stadium, Eden Park, the venue for the hoped-for realisation of their World Cup dreams on Monday night. All Whites:     Crocombe; Payne (Roux, 80), Boxall, Bindon, Cacace (Waine, 80); Singh (de Vries, 72), Bell, Stamenic; McCowatt, Wood (booked, 81 (Barbarouses, 62)), Garbett (Just, 62) Fiji:          Narayan; Baravilala, Wara, Matanisiga, Muzakkir Nabeel (Nabenu, 68); Hughes (Kumar, 75), Joseph (McMullen, 46), Dunn (Dogalau, 20 (booked, 47)), Waranaivalu, Jennings; Wasasala (Nalaubu, 75) Referee:     Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)