OFC World Cup qualifying wrap: Tahiti down New Caledonia

Tahiti remain unbeaten at the top of Group A in Oceania World Cup qualifying after a 4-3 win over New Caledonia on Saturday.

Lorenzo Tehau scored his fifth goal in two matches to put Tahiti 3-0 up inside the first half before a brave fight back from nine-man New Caledonia.

Tehau netted in the 31st minute for Tahiti, who could not subdue New Caledonia despite them having Georges Gope-Fenepej sent off in the 28th minute for a deliberate handball and Jean-Patrick Wakanumune in the 54th minute for a dangerous challenge.

Markos Bako and Jacques Haeko scored for New Caledonia to make it 3-2 in the 80th minute but Tahiti managed to avoid embarrassment when striker Steevy Chong Hue cut the ball back to substitute Roihau Degage, who slotted home a crucial goal four minutes later.

New Caledonia were not done there and scored a third through Dick Kauma in the 86th minute.

In Saturday’s other Group A match, Vanuatu thumped Samoa 5-0 with Jean Naprapol, Brian Kaltack, Derek Malas, Robert Tasso and Kensi Tangis on the score sheet.

The matches are part of the Oceania Nations Cup, the winner of which qualifies automatically for the 2013 Confederations Cup while the semi-finalists – the top two teams from each four-team group – progress to the third stage of World Cup qualifying.