KEY POINTS:
Two second-half goal by Shane Smeltz carried New Zealand to a 3-1 victory over New Caledonia in Noumea tonight and a significant step closer to World Cup soccer qualification.
The result meant the All Whites are through to next year's Confederations Cup in South Africa.
More importantly, they
have also reached the final phase of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, and done it with two matches to spare.
After completing their Oceania schedule, they will meet the fifth-ranked Asian nation in a home-and-way tie, with the winners claiming a spot in soccer's most prestigious tournament.
Smeltz' double maintained his record of having scored in every one of New Zealand's four Oceania matches so far and it took his tally to six goals.
Ben Sigmund put the All Whites ahead in the first half, but Michel Hmae equalised for "Les Cagous" shortly after the interval.
Smeltz settled New Zealand nerves with his first strike midway through the second spell and then made the victory secure with his second 15 minutes from fulltime.
New Zealand made a late pre-match change with Leo Bertos ruled out with a groin problem and replaced by Jeremy Brockie.
They dominated the opening half and got on the board in the 16th minute with a virtual replay of a corner from a minute earlier.
Simon Elliott struck the ball to the far post where skipper Ryan Nelson nodded it back across goal.
Whereas goalkeeper Jean-Marc Ounemoa had snuffed out the earlier threat, he was beaten the second time around with Sigmund toe-poking the ball home for his first international goal.
The All Whites should have gone further ahead just after the half hour, when they manufactured a good chance, again from a corner.
Elliott played the ball short and a well worked move found Jarrod Smith unmarked in the box, but the Toronto striker headed over the bar.
At the other end, New Zealand goalkeeper Glen Moss was seldom called into action, although he had to scramble 10 minutes from halftime when a long range cross-cum-shot went just wide.
New Caledonia almost got the ball in the net early in the second half when midfielder Luther Wahnyamalla latched on to a through ball and was able to deflect the ball pass Moss.
Nelsen's last-ditched lunge kept the ball out of the net, although Wahnyamalla was then ruled offside.
New Caledonia finally brought the sparse crowd alight in the 55th minute with a superb flowing move.
Marius Mapou's fine through ball split the defence and Hmae rifled the ball home in clinical fashion.
The All Whites were looking unsettled, but hit the front again in the 66th minute, when Smith's cross from the left was nodded back by Brockie and Smeltz made no mistake from close range.
Smeltz got his second in the 76th minute with a great finish, slipping his marker on the edge of the box before burying the ball in the net.
The two sides meet again in the return leg in Auckland on Wednesday night, before the All Whites complete their Oceania programme with a fixture against Fiji in Lautoka on November 19.
- NZPA