KEY POINTS:
The Junior All Whites are now just one step away from qualifying for the Fifa Under-20 World Championship in June.
A 7-0 romp over Vanuatu in their penultimate game of the Oceania under-20 championship at Trusts Stadium in Henderson yesterday kept NZ ahead of the pack but still
needing to beat New Caledonia in their tournament finale tomorrow to be certain of their tickets to Canada.
Fiji kept themselves in the race with a battling 2-1 win over New Caledonia in the match of the day to be a point behind New Zealand and one ahead of the Solomons, who have played their six matches.
Continuing their match-by-match improvement, New Zealand wasted no time in shutting the door on Vanuatu.
A simple Phil Edginton header from a Chris James corner gave the home side the lead after only 2m 30s.
Three goals in a nine-minute burst from the 16th minute - a long-range James free kick, a 25m ripper from Jeremy Brockie and a James header from a Brockie cross - had the locals in cruise mode.
Not to be outshone by the other long-distance strikes, Cole Peverley hammered home the best of the half from 40m for 5-0 inside 35 minutes.
Six minutes into the second half James completed his hat-trick, taking his tournament tally to six.
Vanuatu had solid spells at times in the second half, forced several corners and drew some fine saves from Jacob Spoonley in the New Zealand goal.
The scoring was completed in the 63rd minute when right back Sam Peters played the ball into substitute Michael Cunningham who controlled well before thumping home from close range as the hosts secured their biggest win of the tournament.
It was as good as New Zealand have played but given what New Caledonia had shown earlier, there can be no relaxing in the Kiwi camp, with 100 per cent effort required tomorrow to ensure there is no last-gasp hiccup.
Fiji were without key players through suspension but still had coach Carlos Buzzetti - who's awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing following incidents during the loss to New Zealand on Saturday - in the dugout as they weathered an early New Caledonian offensive.
Three long-range shots tested goalkeeper Ben Mateinaqara before the Fijians settled.
There was an air of inevitability in the opening goal. In the 36th minute Roy Krishna charged on to a long ball, out-sped the New Caledonian defence, drew keeper Manu Wejieme and calmly slotted his eighth goal of the tournament to retain his lead in the golden boot.
Richard Sele, who had gone close early on, scored the 67th minute equaliser with a 22m shot that ripped into the Fiji goal.
Eleven minutes from time Fiji regained the lead when Wejieme parried a corner kick. The defence failed to clear and Rinal Prasad volleyed home.
In the opening match of the day, the Solomon Islands, on the back of a late flurry in each half, beat Samoa 8-1.
Joses Nawo led the way with a hat-trick - his first two goals scored in first-half stoppage time.
After Joachim Rande had scored in the 86th and 87th minutes, Judd Molea completed the scoring with an 89th minute penalty - his second goal of the match. Tony Otini was the other scorer.