Football: Team Wellington seal first Club World Cup berth with 10-3 aggregate win over Lautoka FC

Team Wellington celebrate. Photo / Photosport

Team Wellington have sealed a first appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup after a 4-3 win over Lautoka FC in an incident-packed second leg of the OFC Champions League final.

A late flurry of goals inflated the scoreline for both sides but couldn't mask Team Wellington's dominance as they claimed a record-breaking 10-3 aggregate win.

Having beaten seven-time defending champions Auckland City in the semifinals, Jose Figueira's men have emphatically earned the right to wing their way to the UAE in December as Oceania's representatives at the annual tournament.

After their crushing 6-0 first leg victory, completing the job was never going to be anything other than a mere formality for Team Wellington. While nowhere near as dominant as they were at home last Sunday, the visitors still controlled the majority of possession and dictated large periods of the game at Lautoka's Churchill Park.

It says a lot about the new champions that the final whistle wasn't greeted with utter jubilation, given the concession of three second-half goals. There was though genuine satisfaction from the players and coaching staff as they erased the disappointment of their losses to Auckland City in the previous three deciders to finally be crowned Oceania football's top dogs.

Facing an already daunting deficit, any thoughts of a Lazarus-like comeback from Lautoka FC were quickly doused after just ten minutes. Outstanding Team Wellington midfielder Mario Ilich was presented with the ball from a muffed clearance and launched an ambitious but accurate chip from 40 yards. Goalkeeper Senirusi Bokini back-pedalled to athletically claw the ball away, only for retreating defender Dave Radrigai to divert the ball over his own line as it fell to his feet.

In steamy conditions with temperatures touching 30 degrees, the lead was doubled after 32 minutes. Andy Bevin and Angus Kilkolly caused problems in the penalty area and when the ball was only partially cleared, Ilich unleashed a right-footed piledriver from 20 yards which flew past a stranded Bokini.

Striker Ross Allen was introduced from the Team Wellington bench at the start of the second half and it took the Guernsey marksman just six minutes to find the net, planting a tidy left-footed finish past Bokini from a tight angle. Game over, well and truly.

At 9-0 down on aggregate, Lautoka FC could have been forgiven for completely throwing in the towel. In fact, they did the opposite. Former Wellington Phoenix striker Benji Totori scored twice, either side of the game's best goal, a curling effort from Shazil Ali which nestled in the top corner. From 3-0 down, the home side had lifted the spirits of their fans by squaring the ledger at 3-3.

In truth though, it was nothing more than token resistance as Kilkolly scored almost immediately to give Team Wellington both a 4-3 win and the biggest ever aggregate margin in an OFC Champions League final.

OFC Champions League final, second leg

Lautoka FC 3 (Totori 2, Ali)
Team Wellington 4 (own-goal, Ilich, Allen, Kilkolly)