The New Zealand Maori started strong as expected scoring 6 goals by the 23rd minute, Jury Herewini, Sam Hewett, Leo Mitai-Wells each scoring a brace of goals.
Down 5-0 in the 14th minute, the Vanuatu men launched a flurry of attacks on the NZ Maori goal mouth. It took longer than expected but their persistence finally paid off with Jerry Kalnagisu scoring in the 28th minute. This was their 4th goal of the tournament. The goal boosted the morale of the team tremendously.
After the half time break, despite the 7-1 score margin (7th NZ goal by Jury Herewini’s 3rd), the Ni-Vans kept their spirits high and were able to score a second goal to Nasse Abel, 3 minutes after half time .
The second half got a bit more entertaining with both sides having equal chances in opposition half yet New Zealand showed they were better at converting those chances into goals.
Peter Robinson, the Vanuatu coach said “We had heaps of shots to score it’s just that we couldn’t finish whereas New Zealand they finished.” But he was happy with the way his boys played. “The boys are always determined, they always work hard, and they always want to keep playing. We kept working till we got a goal.”
Last Modified on 26/12/2012 10:33