Football: NZ U-23s secure final berth

Bill Tuiloma doubled the lead with a well-taken header at the near post from corner. Photo / Getty Images

The Men's U-23s secured a berth in the Olympic qualifying final on Friday with a 2-0 semi-final win over Vanuatu at a wet Bisini Sports Complex in Port Moresby.

After a scoreless first period, second half goals from Monty Patterson - his third of the tournament - and Bill Tuiloma earned the final spot for Anthony Hudson's side.

They will meet Fiji on Sunday for the Oceania place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after the Fijians recorded a 3-1 victory over Papua New Guinea in the other semi-final.

The New Zealand side threatened to open the scoring on several occasions in the early stages of the first half - firstly as Clayton Lewis was denied by goalkeeper Seloni Iaruel after being played in behind by Patterson.

Soon after, Louis Fenton picked out Alex Rufer with an excellent cross but the striker's header flew inches wide of the near post from six yards out.

Later, the Patterson's whipped a cross to the back post was aimed at Lewis but the attacking midfielder couldn't quite reach it at full stretch before it was Lewis who was denied again in stoppage time, his header turned aside by Iaruel.

But, growing in confidence as the half wore on, Vanuatu also had sights of the New Zealand goal and Max Cromcombe was forced into a punching save when Jean Kaltack's powerful header from a corner was straight at the Oxford United 'keeper. The ball was returned quickly into the area where it was flicked narrowly wide.

But early in the second half the New Zealand side made the important breakthrough as Patterson turned home from close range two minutes after the restart in the aftermath of a corner which was returned into the six-yard area by Sam Brotherton.

Almost 10 minutes later Tuiloma doubled the lead with a well-taken header at the near post from corner.

From that point Hudson's team were clinical in closing out the result to book their final berth, keeping their fourth straight clean sheet of the tournament in the process.