Soccer: Auckland City sweep aside woeful Mont Dore

Auckland City set a new OFC Champions League record after they swept aside an inept AS Mont Dore outfit 12-2 at Kiwitea Street yesterday.

Hat-tricks for Adam Dickinson, Manel Exposito, combined with a brace from Mario Bilen and further goals for Chris Bale, Albert Riera, Gustavo Souto and Darren White proved too much for a Mont Dore side yet to start its own domestic season.

One negative for Auckland City coach was the loss of White, stretchered off midway through the second half following a rash challenge by defender Dan Vakie.

White - who signed from Canterbury United just weeks ago - has a suspected broken ankle and could miss the rest of the campaign.

Auckland City led AS Mont Dore 9-0 at halftime, but it was the New Caledonian champions who netted first after the restart.

Jean-Pierre Bob evaded two challenges before unleashing a stunning right foot shot from 30 metres that dipped under Tamati Williams' crossbar a minute into the second half.

It remained one way traffic from there with substitute Exposito grabbing a treble before Mont Dore's Romain Painbeni had the last say with a left volley with nine minutes from time to round off the bizarre 12-2 score line.

The win was Auckland City's biggest in continental competition eclipsing their 9-1 win over Nokia Eagles in 2006, and their 8-1 hammering of Port Vila Sharks in 2008.

The record winning margin for an Oceania club match is jointly held by Central United and Australian side Wollongong Wolves who both notched 16-0 wins over Tonga's Lotoa'apai in 1999 and 2000.

In recent seasons, Waitakere United thrashed last season's finalists AS Tefana 10-0 at Fred Taylor Park before the Tahitians dumped them out of the competition with a 3-0 win in French Polynesia.

The navy blues win today sees them set a new record in the new competition format, albeit with the same goal difference as Waitakere United's win over Tefana last season, by virtue of goals scored.

Auckland City's win keeps them top of group B with three wins from three, their next match scheduled for Wednesday 17 April with AS Dragon at Trusts Stadium in Henderson.

In other group B action, Kiwi rivals Waitakere United notched 1 -0 win over AS Dragon of Tahiti in Papeete. Captain Jake Butler earned the win with a 43rd minute header.