A goal by Rory Fallon just before halftime and some heroic goalkeeping by Mark Paston secured New Zealand’s ticket to next year’s World Cup as they squeezed past Bahrain 1-0 in Wellington yesterday.
In a match billed as the biggest sporting event ever staged in New Zealand, the single goal broke the deadlock after the first leg of the Asia-Oceania final at Manama last month ended in a scoreless draw.
Bahrain’s best chance to equalize, a penalty early in the second half, went begging as Paston blocked Sayed Adnan’s shot. Before a crowd of 35,100 at Westpac Stadium, a record for a soccer match in a country obsessed with rugby union, New Zealand reached the World Cup finals for only the second time, after qualifying for Spain 28 years ago.
PHOTO: AFP
“I always fancy myself when the boys put the balls in and I have been scoring lately at my club so I just visualized it today and I knew I could do it,” Fallon said of the game-winning goal. “That is the belief that Ricki has been going on about. Everyone had that belief. Leo put in a great cross and I put it away.”
New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert, a member of the 1972 World Cup side, was ecstatic.
“We’re back. We’re there. South Africa, here we are,” he said after giving Paston a congratulatory kiss, adding the team had done their preparation in the event of a penalty.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We had done a little bit of homework and Pastie’s pulled one out of the top drawer,” he said. “He’s done a big one for us. We thought we could get through without conceding a goal. We thought one would do it and we’re there.”
“I’ve been very honest about the quality of this team, he said. “They’ve all worked hard. We all backed the system and we truly believed it was good enough to win and they have gone and done it.”
Paston, who said it would probably take a few days for New Zealand’s success to fully sink in, described his penalty save as “a bit surreal, really.”
PHOTO: AFP
“I actually guessed,” Paston said. “They were trying to tell me what way he goes, but the message didn’t get on and I just guessed. It was great to save a penalty, but the whole second half the boys in front of me were incredible and it comes down to that. It was amazing what they did for me.”
After dominating the goalless first encounter, where they missed two golden chances, Bahrain started the return match with the luxury of knowing a score draw would be enough to progress, and they attacked from the outset. One particular snap shot from striker Jaycee John was forced away by a diving Paston, who was quickly on his feet to block the rebound.
But after weathering the opening onslaught, the Ryan Nelsen-led New Zealanders fought their way into the game.
Leo Bertos and Celtic’s Chris Killen both hit the woodwork before Fallon headed home a Bertos corner in the 44th minute.
In the 51st minute Abdulla Omar was brought down by Tony Lochhead in the penalty box and Uruguay referee Jorge Larrionda had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, only for Paston to deny Adnan’s penalty.
New Zealand’s Shane Smeltz had an opportunity to kill the game off in the 70th minute when he was put through by Bertos, but his deft flick went just wide.
Fallon had another chance 10 minutes later as New Zealand caught Bahrain on the break but his shot was blocked by the defense, while substitute Chris Wood and Smeltz also had half-chances in injury time.
The Gulf nation, with a population of a little over 1 million, also went agonizingly close to playing in the last World Cup — losing at the same stage to Trinidad and Tobago.
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