Soccer: Kiwis to face Solomons in Oceania semi

International women's football players Hayley Moorwood, Kristy Yallop, Ali Riley and Rebecca Smith. Photo / Doug Sherring

New Zealand will face the Solomon Islands in the first of tomorrow's Women's Oceania Nations Cup semifinals after the island nation picked up a valuable point in playing out a 0-0 draw with Fiji in a tense third-round match at the North Harbour Stadium's outer oval yesterday.

It was the first draw and Fiji's first point of the tournament and it allowed Solomon Islands to progress as the second-placed team behind Papua New Guinea in group B.

PNG joined New Zealand as the only other team with a perfect three-from-three record with their 3-0 win over Tonga, who could have progressed, as the second team, had they won.

PNG will play the Cook Islands, second behind New Zealand in group A, in the second of the semifinals with the winners to progress to Friday's final, where the winner will be handed tickets to Germany for next year's Fifa Women's World Cup.

Always seen as the team most likely to challenge New Zealand for the Cup, PNG were made to work for yesterday's victory. They needed 28 minutes to open the scoring when Zeen Limbai ran on to a bouncing ball and poked it home. Limping from the field injured a minute later, Limbai returned to play to score her second on the hour.

Limbai had a hand in her team's third goal when Tongan goalkeeper Lupe Likiliki spilled Limbai's corner into her own goal.

Fiji made much of the early play but it was the Solomons who went closest in the 42nd minute when Prudence Fula headed wide from their first corner. Ileem Pegi had a chance three minutes later but her effort was well blocked by goalkeeper Lido Waqailiti.

After play continued to swing back and forth, Fijian Kurukaba Ligavola almost stole it seven minutes from time when her shot hit the upright.