All Whites 6 - 1 Solomon Islands
Full time : That's the game folks - Brilliant from Wood..he looked a class above anyone on the park with the exception of Ryan Thomas. Professional from New Zealand and they can all-but book their spot in October's playoff with the fifth placed South American side.
Thanks for joining me tonight!!!
92mins: Goal All Whites!! - Chris Wood - that's three for the skipper! - That was brilliant - he smashed it low and hard to the keepers left and it snuck into the bottom corner. Well deserved for Wood - he has scored four goals in five days!
91mins: Free kick to the homeside from about 22 yards - Wood to take this one.
89mins: Chris Wood goes close again. Colvey with a great cros from teh right to find his captain in the middle but he can't keep his header down and it first over - just.
85mins: Ryan Thomas unlucky not to win his side a penalty. Did very well down the right hand side - cut inside..clear foul but the referee waves it away.
80mins: Goal All Whites!! - Michael McGlinchy: The Phoenix midfielder was right to pull rank over his captain there. Brilliantly done. Floats it over the wall and into the top corner. Great goal. He cops a yellow card moments later for a horror tackle that should have been red. Geez almost penthouse to outhouse there.
78mins: Wood earns a free kick inches from the 18-yard box - would imagine he will want to take a crack with the FK here..nope McGlinchy to take.
77mins: All Whites controlling possession well – the Solomon's are in complete shut the gate mode trying to limit the damage heading into their home leg.
73mins: Free-kick to the All Whites 30m out - Chris Wood fires it over the bar. Myer Bevan gets a national debut - replacing Barbarouses who has been hot and cold tonight.
69mins: Superb pass from Storm Roux finds Kosta inside the box and free but he can't control his touch and the keeper cleans it up. Wood then has another chance for his third goal but it's deflected over the line for yet another corner. Solomon's defend it well.
68mins: Corner is wasted by the All Whites - but they are back in possesion in their own half through Boxall.
67mins: McGlinchy creates a slight opening from the corner - dinks it over the Solomon's defence and Thomas is free on the back post but can't quite catch up with the ball. Moments later Wood earns his side another corner with a smart piece of play.
66mins: Another All Whites corner coming up - nice work from Wynn this time.
65mins: Storm Roux impressive again. Great pass from Patterson – Roux runs on to it well..turns his man but good clean up play from the Solomon's centre back and it's a NZ corner.
60mins: Great save from Marinovic - the impressive Gagame Feni is set free down the left hand side..has Boxall in a spin..fires off a powerful shot but Marinovic gets a strong hand on it to deny the Solomon's an opening. Corner comes to nothing.
55mins: Goal All Whites!! - Ryan Thomas: Game off I guess! – Thomas collects the ball about 30-yards out, carries it nicely and let's loose from outside the box – beats the keeper low to his left and that is a classy goal. Great response from the homeside. Thomas has played very well tonight.
53mins: Goal Solomon Islands - Henry Fa'arodo - The skipper makes no mistake. Nice effort by the All Whites keeper..Marinovic picked the right way and got some heat on it but it was well struck. Game on.
52mins: Penalty Solomon Islands - Benjamin Totori breaks free again - he has Decklan Wynn in tangles and a stray boot clips the former Phoenix striker and that is a dead-set spot kick.
51mins: Nice counter-attack from the Solomon's –Nawo breaks free down the right – nice pass into the area for Totori but Tzimopoulos clears well. Seconds later another chance for Totori but Marinovic saves well. Good play.
46mins: Wow – Chris Wood goes within an inch of his third. Great cross by Thomas finds Wood who's header floats into the corner but the keeper swipes it out of danger from nowhere. Wood appeals but the officials are happy – replay shows it was close but they got it right.
Second half: The Solomon's are facing a tough road back to in getting a decent result tonight. they need to defend much better in the second 45 and nic an away goal to have a chance of getting a result next week. All Whites get us back underway.
Halftime: And that will do it - at 3-0 it's hard to see the All Whites not growing this lead further in the second 45. Time will tell. Monty Patterson was excellent in the first stanza, while Wood finishes were worthy of the big payrise he got this week. Be back shortly.
47mins: Barbarouses blows a guilt-edged chance - he is set free by McGlinchy and it's two on the keeper but Kosta loses hos feet and the chance is loss. Seconds later and Kosta breaks free own the right - great ball but Thomas smashesit off the cross bar from six-yards!! Geez that would have all-but put the tie to bed.
45mins: Two-minutes of injury time to be played.
42mins: Another chance blown..Patterson sets Roux free again…Wood is unmarked on the penalty spot but Roux's pass is poor. Solomon's clear.
39mins: Goal All Whites!! - Kosta Barbarouses: Great ball into the area by Ryan Thomas down the right hand side….the ball deflects back out to Barbarouses who curls the ball around the keeper to extend the lead to three. Beautiful finish.
36mins: Goal All Whites!! - Chris Wood: Now that is a man with confidence. Ryan Thomas wins the ball in midfield – spots a nice run from Wood who benefits from a slip by the defender. Wood gathers the ball 25-out..looks up at the advancing keeper and he dinks it over the top and into a vacated net. Great goal.
34mins: Counter-attack from the Solomon's – breaking down the right was Gagame Feni, he skins Tzimopolous but his pass is poor with two waiting in the middle – All Whites clear but the threat is there for sure.
31mins: Corner comes to nothing. All Whites back in possession.
30mins: Nice work from Atkin Kaua earns his side their first corner – He's up front by himself pretty much – took the ball on halfway and beat McGlinchy..good defending by Boxall but an attacking chance for the visitors.
28mins: When it rains it poors – great pass by Roux and there are literally five All Whites queuing up to take a shot but Boxall first touch is awful and the keeper cleans it up. Great work to beat the offside trap but costly miss.
26mins: Great chance again – Wood with a lovely header from the six-yard box but great save from the keeper. Great pass from Patterson. Corner for New Zealand.
23mins: Great chance wasted by Barbarouses. Wood with a beautiful chip pass over to Roux on the 18-yard – he pulls the ball back to the top of the box but Barbarouses misses to the right of the post- Goal Keeper was dead and buried.
22mins: Storm Roux earns another corner with some nice work. He has started very well himself. Well defended by the Solomon's and the All Whites start again through Decklan Wynn.
21mins: The All Whites have really settled into their work here – dominating possession at the moment – the Solomon's are defending very deep – it looks like a case of damage limitation for the visitors tonight.
18mins: Goal All Whites!! - Chris Wood: Ryan Thomas wrestles free about 20 yards out and has a crack – it deflects off a defender and it lands to Wood just inside the six-yard box and he hammers it home to give New Zealand a deserved lead.
17mins: Another free kick leads to carnage in the Solomon's penalty area. Great delivery from Patterson…the ball bouncing around off both sets of players but no-one can get a decent shot away and the Solomon's clear.
14mins: Free-kick for the All Whites about 25 out. Atkin Kaua with a horrible challenge on Barbarouses. Chance comes to nothing however. Solomon's defend that very well.
13mins: New Zealand with a ton of possession in the last few minutes…working the ball nicely. Patterson sets Roux free again…he earns a corner for the hosts. Monty Patterson has been very impressive in the opening stanza.
10mins: All Whites open them up again – nice play from McGlinchy and Patterson..Roux needed better delivery on his pass though and the chance is wasted as the Solomon's clear.
8mins: Nice play by Monty Patterson sets Storm Roux free down the right – into the area he goes but well looked after by his marker. Comes to nothing for New Zealand.
6mins: New Zealand being quite wasteful in possession – careless passing so far. Solomon's have settled inti the game nicely.
4mins: Nice attack from winger Gagame Feni, bursts down the right but good defending from Boxall – However moments later the All Whites defender gets a yellow card for a carless tackle midway halfway and the goal.
2mins: Pretty timid start to the game – the All Whites get their first taste of possession but Decklan Wynn wastes it with a mis-placed pass – goal kick for the visitors.
Kick-off: Game is underway - Solomon Islands start with the ball.
7.25pm: Thanks for joining me tonight – conditions are cool but for the most part dry, despite a crap load of rain in Auckland today.
Hello and welcome to live commentary of the first leg of the OFC Final between the All Whites and the Solomon Islands from QBE Stadium in Albany.
This is the penultimate stop for the All Whites on their road to Russia 2018 – a win in this tie would book Anthony Hudson's men a spot in the Intercontinental playoff against the fifth-ranked South American side.
Coverage will start from 7.25pm, with match highlights available 30-minutes after the final whistle.
All Whites starting lineup
1.Stefan Marinovic, 2.Sam Brotherton, 3.Decklan Wynne, 4.Themi Tzimopoulos, 5.Michael Boxall, 7.Kosta Barbarouses, 8.Michael McGlinchy, 9.Chris Wood ©, 13.Monty Patterson, 14.Ryan Thomas, 21.Storm Roux
Substitutes: 6.James Musa, 12.Glen Moss, 15.Myer Bevan, 16.Moses Dyer, 17.Thomas Doyle, 18.Kip Colvey, 19.Alex Rufer, 22.Andrew Durante, 23.Oliver Sail
Solomon Islands squad
GOALKEEPERS:
Zantas Kabini, Philip Mango, Desmond Tutu
DEFENDERS:
Hadisi Aengari, Michael Boso, Richard Hiromana, Nelson Sale Kilifa, Robert Laua, Emmanuel Poila, Andrew Rarangia
MIDFIELDERS:
Clifton Aumae, Timothy Bakale, Jeffrey Bule, Henry Fa'arodo, Atkin Kaua, Micah Lea'alafa, Joses Nawo
FORWARDS:
Clement Baegeni, Jerry Donga, Gagame Feni, Benjamin Totori
Newshub.
