KEY POINTS:
Striker Shane Smeltz equalled a 30-year-old New Zealand goalscoring feat in Auckland tonight as the All Whites maintained their 100 per cent record in their Oceania qualifying campaign for the 2010 soccer World Cup.
New Zealand, who had already made it through to the next stage of World
Cup qualification, beat New Caledonia 3-0 to make it five wins from five matches.
Smeltz struck twice to take his personal tally to 10 goals in his past six internationals, while substitute Jeremy Christie got the other.
When Smeltz opened the scoring early in the second half, it meant he matched Keith Nelson's record of scoring in six consecutive internationals. Nelson's run in 1977-8 also brought him 10 goals.
New Zealand, who beat the same opposition 3-1 in Noumea last Saturday, dominated the contest from the outset at North Harbour Stadium.
Two early chances went to Smeltz, who shot straight at keeper Michel Hne and was then called back for offside in the 14th minute when he headed a Chris James cross home.
Midway through the spell, another James cross from the left was nodded just wide by skipper Ryan Nelsen.
Just before halftime, it was striker Jarrod Smith who headed agonisingly past the post.
New Caledonia seldom threatened, but they almost hit the front in the 16th minute.
They were awarded a free kick 30m out for a Ben Sigmund challenge on Roy Kayara, and skipper Pierre Wajoka's shot rebounded off the woodwork.
They also showed good commitment in defence, as Andre Sinedo demonstrated just before the interval with a solid challenge to win a defensive header.
The All Whites continued to control proceedings at the start of the second half and finally went ahead in the 51st minute.
James produced an accurate cross from the edge of the box which Smeltz headed goalward and, while Hne was able to get his hands to the ball, he couldn't parry it away.
David Mulligan almost made it two shortly after when hit the post with a free kick and then Smith head over the bar when at a stretch.
With 26 minutes to go, coach Ricki Herbert pulled off Nelsen, who is headed back to Britain and into English Premiership action again this weekend for Blackburn against Arsenal.
Five minutes later, New Zealand made the result secure when Christie turned in a cross from Tony Lochhead for his first international goal.
Smeltz added the icing with 13 minutes to go when he got the ball on the edge of the box, had one touch to get past his marker and a second to rifle his shot home.
Both teams wore armbands and stood for a minute's silence before the match in honour of New Zealander Charlie Dempsey, a former Oceania Football Confederation president, who died in June, aged 86.
New Zealand's final Oceania fixture is against Fiji in Lautoka on November 19.
Late next year, they will face the fifth-ranked Asian nation in a home-and-away tie for a place in the World Cup finals in South Africa.
- NZPA
