The Denmark-based defender found the net from a perfectly-flighted Shane Smeltz cross in the 93rd minute to give the Kiwis an improbable 1-1 draw against a dominant Slovakia side in their Group F opener in Rustenburg.
Robert Vittek had put the Europeans in front, also with his head, in the 50th minute but the All Whites hit back for a result that leaves the section’s four sides level on one point – and also tied on goal difference – after Italy and Paraguay drew 1-1 yesterday.
“We’ve got a really proud dressing room there,” Herbert says. “We came across with intentions to make a difference and we’ve done that. I thought we played very well against a highly-ranked team so I’m very proud.”
New Zealand’s next two games against defending champions Italy (June 20) and Paraguay (June 24) now take on added importance but Herbert was reluctant to overplay the draw. He did, however, acknowledge the significance of the result.
“It’s probably well up there, it’ll have to be. We were never picked to get a point at a World Cup, albeit we’ve only been twice,”
“We got a result over Serbia but people want to tell you that was a friendly. We’ve come and thrown some pretty good punches tonight and got a well deserved point.”
New Zealand defied their underdog status in the opening five minutes.
First Chris Killen broke free from his marker just inside the Slovakia half, charged forward and unleashed a shot that flew over. Then the Middlesbrough striker headed wide from an inviting Leo Bertos cross.
That seemed to awaken the favourites.
Vladimir Weiss, son of the Slovakia coach, darted down the right flank before producing a low cross that goalkeeper Mark Paston did well to hold, before Robert Vittek cut inside to blaze a shot high and wide.
The flair of Weiss was thrilling the crowd and on 22 minutes the Slovakia No 7 found space down the left and threaded the ball through to Marek Hamsik, who curled a shot wide from just inside the penalty area.
Weiss then craftily laid on a chance for Stanislav Sestak, who fired into the side-netting. Minutes later Sestak missed another chance, this time from a close-range header following a corner.
With ten minutes of the half remaining, Vittek cut inside from the right and fired a fierce 20-yard shot wide.
New Zealand, who had been spectators for a period, then went close. Following a neat passing move, Smeltz played a give-and-go with Rory Fallon before shooting into the side-netting from a difficult angle.
It proved a brief respite, as the Slovaks dominated possession for the remainder of the half, albeit without creating any meaningful opportunities.
They did just that five minutes after the restart, though, and this time took full advantage.
Sestak crossed from the right and Vittek powered his header into the bottom corner. It was just reward for Slovakia’s relentless assault on the Kiwis’ goal.
Rather than sit back, the team in blue went in search of a second goal.
Near the hour mark, Sestak held the ball up well and touched it into the path of Hamsik, who failed to keep his shot down from the edge of the area.
Slovakia almost doubled their lead soon after.
Zdenko Strba and Sestak exchanged passes, before the latter set up Vittek. But Paston rushed from his line to make a smart block from the 28-year-old forward.
It took an alert Tony Lochhead to deny Vittek a clear sight on goal with 15 minutes to go, before Smeltz headed wide from a rare New Zealand attack with just minutes remaining.
It appeared then that their last chance had gone but deep into injury time Smeltz crossed for Reid to steal in and nod home a dramatic equaliser.
FIFA World Cup: Group F
New Zealand 1 (Winston REID 90+3) Slovakia 1 (Robert VITTEK 50)
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Rustenburg
June 15, 2010
New Zealand: 1-Mark PASTON (GK), 3-Tony LOCHHEAD, 4-Winston REID, 5-Ivan VICELEICH (21-Jeremy CHRISTIE 78), 6-Ryan NELSEN (captain), 7 Simon ELLIOTT, 9-Shane SMELTZ, 10-Chris KILLEN (20-Chris WOOD 72), 11-Leo BERTOS, 14-Rory FALLON, 19-Tommy SMITH.
Substitutes not used: 2-Ben SIGMUND, 8-Tim BROWN, 13-Andy BARRON, 15-Michael MCGLINCHEY, 16-Aaron CLAPHAM, 17-David MULLIGAN, 18-Andrew BOYENS, 22-Jeremy BROCKIE, 23-James BANNATYNE (RGK).
Suspended: 12-Glen MOSS (GK).
Coach: Ricki HERBERT
Slovakia: 1-Jan MUCHA (GK), 3-Martin SKRTEL, 4-Marek CECH, 5-Radoslav ZABAVNIK, 6-Zdenko STRBA, 7-Vladimir WEISS (19-Juraj KUCKA 91), 9-Stanislav SESTAK (13-Filip HOLOSKO 81), 11-Robert VITTEK (15-Miroslav STOCH 84), 16-Jan DURICA, 17-Marek HAMSIK, 18-Erik JENDRISEK.
Substitutes not used:2-Peter PEKARIK, 8-Jan KOZAK, 10-Marek SAPARA, 12-Dusan PERNIS (RGK), 14-Martin JAKUBKO, 20-Kamil KOPUNEK, 21-Kornel SALATA, 22-Martin PETRAS, 23-Dusan KUCIAK (GK),
Coach: Vladimir WEISS
Cautions: Tony LOCHHEAD (NZL) 42′, Zdenko STRBA (SVK) 55′, Winston REID (NZL) 90’+3
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