All Whites beat Fiji in opener

The All Whites have got off to a winning start at the OFC Nations Cup after a hard-fought and physical 3-1 victory over Fiji in the tournament opener in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The Anthony Hudson-coached side got on the board early thanks to Themi Tzimopoulos in the 16th minute and doubled their advantage three minutes before half-time through striker Rory Fallon on his long-awaited return to the national side. Fiji hung in there and were rewarded late in the first half with a stoppage-time penalty to striker Roy Krishna at Sir John Guise Stadium, before All Whites skipper Chris Wood finished off the job with a well-taken spot kick in the 61st minute. The four-time champions of the OFC Nations Cup opened the game with a high intensity and immediately troubled Fiji. The opening goal came when Bill Tuiloma delivered a long throw in which created space for Wood to have a shot on goal. His attempt was saved by Fijian goalkeeper Simione Tamanisau but Tzimopoulos was on hand to turn in the rebound from close range. It was the first international goal in just a fourth appearance for Tzimopoulos, who was prominent in both attack and defence. New Zealand had a couple more chances to score before Fallon was the man on the spot to make the most of a goalkeeping error, closing down Tamanisau and forcing his attempted clearance home. The 34-year-old, who famously headed the All Whites to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 when he scored in the qualifier against Bahrain, notched his first international goal in seven years and his fifth in all for the All Whites. The leaders looked to be cruising but the context of the game changed in stoppage time. Fiji were awarded a penalty when Setareki Hughes went down under a Sam Brotherton challenge and Wellington Phoenix star Krishna coolly converted past Stefan Marinovic to keep his side in the contest. The All Whites put the game beyond doubt though when they earned a spot kick of their own. Tuiloma laid the ball back to Fallon on the edge of the area and his shot struck the hand of a Fiji defender, leaving Wood to complete the final scoring act of the night just past the hour mark. Hudson made a few changes in the final half hour with Michael McGlinchey coming on for Monty Patterson, birthday boy Logan Rogerson entering the fray for Fallon and Thomas Doyle taking Louis Fenton’s place late on. Luka Prelevic, who joined fellow Melbourne-based player Luke Adams in making his debut for the national team, picked up a yellow card in the 75th minute for New Zealand’s only booking of the night. Hudson admitted it wasn’t a game for the purists but says the aim was always to play to the conditions and make sure the right result was earned. “It was all about the win today,” he said. “You’re never going to come here and have it all your own way, these teams are very dangerous and we’ve seen that in the past. They’ve got some players who can hurt any team. Roy Krishna is someone that, on his day, is a real threat to anyone. I was pleased with how we defended overall as a team and with our work ethic and togetherness,” he added. “It was disappointing to concede a penalty but, other than that, we’ve had three games in a row now where we’ve not let the ball in the back of the net from open play so I’m pleased with how things are moving. We deserved the win and we’ll now look to recover for the next game.”

Match Details OFC Nations Cup Sir John Guise Stadium Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea New Zealand 3 (Themi Tzimopoulos 16’, Rory Fallon 42’, Chris Wood 61’ pen) Fiji 1 (Krishna 45’+2’ pen) New Zealand: 1. Stefan Marinovic (GK), 2. Kip Colvey, 4. Themi Tzimopoulos, 6. Bill Tuiloma, 9. Chris Wood, 10. Luka Prelevic (yellow card 75’), 13. Monty Patterson (Michael McGlinchey 66’) 14. Rory Fallon (Logan Rogerson 77’), 16. Louis Fenton (Thomas Doyle 85’), 17. Luke Adams, 18. Sam Brotherton Subs not used: 12. Max Crocombe (GK), 3. Matt Ridenton, 7. Kosta Barbarouses, 8. Michael McGlinchey, 11. Marco Rojas, 19. Thomas Doyle, 20. Te Atawahi Hudson-Wihongi, 21. Logan Rogerson, 22. Moses Dyer, 23. Tamati Williams (GK)

Story courtesy of NZ Football