New Caledonia 6 - Solomon Islands 2

Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, the site of fifteen matches in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, hosted its fourteenth match today as the host Solomon Islands faced off against New Caledonia in the first of two matches between the sides over a five-day period.  Both teams knew coming in that the full six points from the two matches would be necessary in order to keep up with New Zealand in the OFC Third Round.  The rain threw in an extra wrinkle for the teams to navigate.  The visitors appeared to be better sailors in the early going as star Georges Gope-Fenepej sailed a cross from the left flank onto the foot of Roy Kayara for a volleyed finish and a 1-0 lead.  The Bonitos settled themselves after conceded and were about to equalize twenty-five minutes on after Joses Nawa cross from the right flank was met by the head of Tutizama Tanito, who headed home off a bounce for 1-1.  In the final minute of the half, a long lofted pass came to the feet of Bertrand Kai who then fired a cross into the box.  Meanwhile, his teammate Gope-Fenepej had broken an offside trap.  The cross met Gope-Fenepej's unmarked head in the box, and the result was a 2-1 New Caledonia lead at the half.

It took fifteen minutes for the response, but a Seni Ngava long cross found Nawa in the box.  Nawa took advantage of the goalkeeper having come off his line as Nawa looped a header softly under the crossbar for the equalizer.  However, with a dozen minutes left, the bottom dropped out of the Bonitos' ship.  Gope-Fenepej caused a freak own goal when he blocked a clearance that went off the head of a defender.  Three minutes later, a Kai through ball lead to a ball passed across the box where Gope-Fenepej was waiting for the unmarked finish.  With two minutes to go, Jacques Haeko did it himself, beating the Bonitos up the left side of the pitch and deftly chipping the goalkeeper from ten yards for 5-2.  In stoppage time, Haeko nearly had a second as he broke through the right side of the pitch, but he sent his shot wide of the far post.  Luckily for him, Gope-Fenepej made a long run and was there to tap-in the miss.  New Caledonia win 6-2 and return home to face Solomon Islands on Tuesday.

New Zealand 6 pts +7
New Caledonia 6 pts +6
Solomon Islands 3 pts -7
Tahiti 0 pts -6

Goals
New Caledonia
Roy Kayara 8
Georges Gope-Fenepej 45, 81, 90+1
Tome Faisi 78 OG
Jacques Haeko 88

Solomon Islands
Tutizama Tanito 33
Joses Nawa 59

Match Reports:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticle/tabid/125/Article/f37cc276-90c4-4a9e-8610-414c3b040388/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://boxscorenews.com/les-cagous-emerge-as-major-world-cup-qualifying-contenders-p49179-68.htm

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvuZwGJNNGU&feature=g-all-u