Australia Smash Hapless Solomons

Mark Viduka scored twice as Australia put seven past hapless Solomon Islands to take a grip of their Oceania World Cup qualifier here on Saturday. The Australians made the return match in Honiara on Tuesday academic with the comprehensive 7-0 victory. Viduka, skippering Australia for the first time, scored twice, one off a spectacular overhead bicycle kick, to put Australia in command by half-time with a 3-0 lead. "I have to think back a lot to have had an easier game than that one, but that was to be expected," Australia's new coach Guus Hiddink said. The Solomons, 136th on the FIFA world rankings, competed tigerishly for much of the opening period before Dutch-based midfielder Jason Culina opened the scoring in the 20th-minute with a cracking volley from just outside the area. The Oceania group winner does not receive an automatic bid to the World Cup 2006 but must win a home-and-home against the fifth-place country from the South American group.