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All Whites Advance On Back Of Nap Hand
by Jeremy Ruane
The All Whites advanced to the next phase of the Oceania World Cup qualifying programme on June 18 with a 5-0 triumph over a Fiji team which, for the best part of an hour, certainly didn't make life easy for the home side, despite rarely testing Jason Batty.
All appeared to be in order as Tim Stevens went close in the third minute, but Esala Masinisau's fifth minute header gave the All Whites notice that Fiji would cause more problems for the home side than did Papua New Guinea a week previously.
Wynton Rufer and Vaughan Coveny went close before the game's first controversial incident came to pass, in the twelfth minute. Isikeli Sevanaia, Fiji's goalkeeper, handled the ball outside his penalty area in the act of saving at the feet of Coveny. That he saved Rufer's resulting free-kick extremely well isn't in doubt; that he should have been on the park to do so is.
The previous Sunday, in a top-of-the-table Bluebird Premier League fixture, Lynn-Avon United's Duncan Martin received his marching orders for a similar incident against Central United. Three days later, in a vital World Cup qualifying international, the offending goalkeeper didn't even receive a talking-to from Tahitian referee Massimo Raveino, never mind a yellow or red card. Wherefore art thou, consistency?
Rufer sent Stevens through on the quarter-hour, and Coveny duly slipped his striking partner's low cross home. But the ball had crossed the dead-ball line before Stevens had wrapped his foot around it, and the goal was disallowed, to the dismay of the 13,000 spectators, the last-minute arrival of many of whom resulted in a twenty-five minute delay before the action commenced.
The prodigal son of New Zealand soccer showed his team-mates the way in the eighteenth minute. A feint, a dummy, then a left-foot screamer from twenty yards which arrowed into the net. Vintage Rufer. Lethal.
Not to be outdone, Fiji hit back with some attacks of their own. Ramulo Kaibau went close with a twentieth minute free-kick, while Batty produced a fingertip save to foil Ramend Dutt.
In between times, Chris Jackson turned defence into attack on the edge of his own penalty area with a splendid fifty-yard pass which dropped perfectly into Coveny's stride. On he ran into the penalty area before unselfishly squaring for Stevens. Kaibau and Sevanaia combined to foil the North Shore man, who must, by now, be wondering just what he has to do to increase his goal tally at international level.
Mark Atkinson - an outstanding contribution from him - sparked a 35th minute raid whcih, with Rufer's aid, allowed Simon Elliott to release Coveny. Masinisau blocked his shot, however, and the All Whites went to the break just a goal to the good, due more to impatience than anything else.
That they led at the interval is down to Batty. A sluggish rearguard was breached, not for the first time, two minutes prior to the whistle, with Ulaiasi Sogotubu putting the overlapping Kameli Kilaiwaca through. He cut in and shot, only to see Batty, who had advanced off his line, parry the sphere to safety.
Some reassuring words from Joe McGrath during the break saw the All Whites approach the second half in a more statesmanlike manner. Their build-
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ups were more controlled, less hurried, their passing more accurate, less wayward, as they gradually outclassed their plucky opponents.
Not before one of the less savoury incidents in New Zealand - Fiji clashes had taken place, however. Jackson and Stevens had gone close to extending the All Whites' lead before a 54th minute attack saw Atkinson weave some magic to beat three defenders before crossing the ball. Coveny inadvertently blocked, thus allowing Atkinson another go.
This time he found Stevens at point-blank range, and a goal looked a mere formality. Amazingly, Sevanaia kept it out, and he and Stevens collided as they both contested the loose ball. The 'keeper grabbed the sphere as a brief tussle broke out, but referee Raveino quickly blew his whistle to indicate a foul on the goalkeeper.
As this was happening, and incensed by the attack on his team-mate, Fijian fullback Jope Lomu hurtled onto the scene with a burst of speed his namesake Jonah would be proud of. But the All Black number eleven would not have been proud of what happened next, as Lomu felled Stevens with a king-hit, much to the astonishment of all present.
Raveino quickly settled things down as tempers flared, and, to his credit, he handled the pressure-cooker situation superbly. He waited while Stevens recuperated, a period of time which helped greatly in the restoration of order, before booking the All White for his challenge on the goalkeeper. For Lomu, however, the punishment was more severe, and Fiji were reduced to ten men for the remainder.
The extra space Lomu's enforced absence created was all New Zealand needed to take full control of the match. And in the 66th minute, they made certain of a safe passage through to round three. It was a super goal, too. Some inspired off-the-ball running by Atkinson was rewarded by a perceptive pass from Rufer. The man-of-the-match crossed low for Coveny, who slipped the ball across Sevanaia and inside the far post - 2-0.
It was virtually one-way traffic from here on in, as Sevanaia worked overtime. Thrice he denied Coveny, while substitutes Noah Hickey and Nik Viljoen were also foiled, the latter twice.
But further goals were inevitable, and duly came. Rufer struck his second, New Zealand's third, in the 74th minute, punishing a defensive blunder with the minimum of fuss. Then it was Viljoen's turn six minutes later, a near post header of a teasing Elliott cross finding the far side of the net with laser-like accuracy.
The last goal of the night, struck five minutes from time, at the commencement of the move simply looked a non-starter! But Elliott's gallant pursuit of a seemingly lost cause saw him gain possession ahead of his tiring Fijian opponent, and his pass, after cutting into the penalty area, picked out Riki Van Steeden.
The youngest player in the starting line-up steered the ball home precisely and wheeled away to celebrate scoring in his full international debut, as the nation's thoughts turned towards June 28, and a long-awaited clash with "El Tel's Army", Australia.
All Whites: Batty; Gray, Vicelich, Wilkinson; Stevens, Jackson, Atkinson, van Steeden, Elliott; Rufer, Coveny Subs: Hickey, Rowe, Viljoen
Referee: Massimo Raveino (Tahiti)
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