New Zealand's All Whites scored a deserved but narrow 1-0 victory over Malaysia at Christchurch's QE2 Park on February 19, as they marked their first home international in some forty-three months with a victory in front of 10,100 expectant fans. The first half was an uninspiring affair, with the young Malaysian team offering little threat to a New Zealand side whose aerial dominance meant that the All Whites would be a constant menace to their opponents from set-pieces. And so it proved, with Steven Old and Danny Hay both heading narrowly over the crossbar from Leo Bertos deliveries inside the first eleven minutes, after local boy and debutant Andy Barron almost gave the locals the perfect start when firing narrowly wide after just twenty seconds. The All Whites' profligacy in front of goal continued, Tim Brown heading a free-kick narrowly across goal on the quarter-hour, before Bertos worked an opening for Vaughan Coveny, whose shot on the turn was blocked by the hard-working Ronny Harun. Bertos, who was soon to be denied penalty claims by referee Peter O'Leary when going down under Harun's challenge, hit the stanchion in the seventeenth minute as the All Whites pressed for the opener, Adrian Webster having created this opportunity with a measured cross from the left. Not long after this, the flow of opportunities dried up somewhat for the home team, as a combination of sturdy Malaysian defending, the inadequate underfoot conditions - this pitch simply wasn't good enough for the playing of quality international football, and a lack of cohesive play combined with urgency borne out of frustration meant the All Whites, after their lively opening, gave the impression they had rather lost their way. It took the felling of Coveny on the edge of the area, as the striker sought a record 29th goal for his country, to snap the locals out of their lethargy, with the resulting neat short free-kick routine seeing Bertos batter a twenty-yarder inches over the bar. The Scarborough man enjoyed a lively first half, and it was his interchange with Brent Fisher which presented the Canterbury native with the chance to open the scoring seven minutes before half-time. The side-netting bulged … Seconds beforehand, the Malaysians had mustered their first attacking offering of the contest - until this point, a few solo surges from striker Safee Salj had seen the All Whites' defence threatened by his direct running, but his "head down" style meant he all too often had no awareness of the runs being made by supporting colleagues, so hard-earned possession was swiftly lost through sheer weight of numbers. Salj was involved in this 37th minute raid, which had been led by the lively Amri Yahyah until he rather over-hit his cross. Salj picked up the pieces and put Rasiah Surendran through, but debutant goalkeeper Glen Moss was alert to the danger and dealt with it accordingly. The goalkeeper looked on in stoppage time as a long-range effort from Yahyah flew high-high, this after Malaysia's most promising move of the match thus far, which featured Surendran, Yahyah, Hardi Jamar and Salj had seen the latter thwarted by the solidly-performed Old before he had a chance to shoot. The second half saw a much better showing from the All Whites, who carved out chances seemingly at will on getting into their stride. After a Barron cross had been scrambled clear by the visitors, goalkeeper Shamsuri Mustafa made a meal of a deflected shot from Fisher which he could easily have prevented from going for a corner. It's as well for him that Brown sent Coveny's flick-on of Bertos' delivery flashing over the crossbar.

Bertos, Barron, Coveny and Fisher combined in the next likely All Whites' move just before the hour mark, but again, Harun was on hand to frustrate the locals, who were to suffer a great deal more frustration in front of goal before finally making the breakthrough their efforts merited. Hay, lurking beyond the far post, was picked out by a superbly struck corner from Barron, but the All Whites' captain couldn't direct his downward header on target in the 62nd minute. Then it was Webster's turn to curse his luck, the Darlington man pulling his shot wide of the mark after Brown and Fisher had teamed up to good effect. In the 67th minute, the All Whites enjoyed their best chances yet, as they laid siege to the Malaysian goal. Bertos - it was a toss-up between him and Barron for the day's star turn - produced some great work to get to the by-line, from where he fired in an inviting cross intended for Coveny. Substitute Fadzu Saari, who had only been on the pitch eight minutes, proved his worth by heading the ball off the line while facing the netting. Webster was following up, and laid the ball back to Brown, who thundered a shot against the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area. The Malaysians failed to respond promptly to the ricochet, so in stepped Webster once more, with Barron taking over and picking out Bertos with his cross. His header, an awkward one at full stretch on a difficult angle, was greedily grabbed by Mustafa as the ball headed for the top corner of the net. If that was close, the All Whites came closer still in the 72nd minute, with both Hay and Coveny thundering efforts against the woodwork following a Barron corner struck beyond the far post once more. Seconds later, debutant substitute Jeremy Brockie volleyed wide when Bertos picked him out with a peach of a cross. Coveny went close again from a Bertos corner, before Noah Hickey worked a one-two with the midfielder before unleashing a twenty-five yarder which stung Mustafa's gloves. One team was only ever going to win this match, but putting the ball in the back of the net was proving to be something else again. Barron, Coveny and substitute Shane Smeltz all sent shots flying past the uprights in a five-minute spell some ten minutes from time, while the Malaysians mustered their lone shot of the second spell in this time, a curling effort from Saari which Moss gobbled up gleefully. The breakthrough had to come, and three minutes from time, the 10,100 fans present, not to mention those watching around the nation on television, cheered long and loud a return to the good Old days of All Whites' wins on home turf. Barron fired a free-kick to the far post, where Hay towered above the defence. His point-blank range effort was parried by Mustafa, but Old was on hand to drive the rebound into the roof of the net from two yards out to clinch New Zealand's first win against non-Oceanian full international opposition since a 2-0 win over Malaysia in August 2000. The goal Barron deserved for his efforts nearly materialised in stoppage time. Picked out by Brockie, his twenty-yard shot was tipped round the post by Mustafa at full stretch in what proved to be the last act of consequence in New Zealand's first international in over eight months, one they marked with a 1-0 victory over Malaysia, a result they will look to repeat with interest in four days' time at North Harbour Stadium. All Whites:     Moss; Christie, Old, Hay, Hickey; Bertos, Barron, Brown (Fleming, 77), Webster (Brockie, 68); Coveny, Fisher (Smeltz, 68) Malaysia:     Mustafa; Veeran, Misbah, Harun, Hoong; Surendran, Jamar (Zalani, 84), Lkalliappan, Yahyah (Saari, 59); Salj, Ramli Referee:     Peter O'Leary