A dramatic last-gasp headed winner from Tommy Smith secured the All Whites’ passage into November’s Oceania / CONCACAF World Cup qualifying play-offs at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium on March 22, although the New Zealanders’ 2-1 win over New Caledonia can most kindly be described as scratchy. If anything, it was the visiting team which deserved more from this game, but the 7,138 fans present saw their white-clad heroes hold off their nearest rivals to clinch top spot in the Oceania qualifying group with a game to spare, and book themselves a home-and-away play-off against the fourth-ranked CONCACAF contenders later in the year. The All Whites began brightly, Australian referee Strebre Delovski making the first of many at best dubious decisions in just the sixth minute, as Mark Paston’s clearance was flicked on by Chris Wood. Shane Smeltz was in on goal with just New Caledonian ‘keeper Ricky Nyikeine to beat, but ended up on the ground after a despairing lunge from Judickael Ixoee felled the striker inside the penalty area. A spot-kick, surely? How referee Delovski even opted for a corner, when the defender didn’t even touch it, defies logic! But his opting out of making a crucial decision so early in the game set the  tone for an officiating display which, sadly, deteriorated as the match progressed. Just four minutes elapsed before the All Whites threatened again, and this time there wasn’t the remotest hint of controversy. Just a classic execution of a set-piece - Marco Rojas’ corner to the near post was met by Chris Killen, who powered home an unstoppable header from inside the six-yard box. That allowed the All Whites to relax, but not before they were given a scare by Cesar Lolohea’s twelfth minute free-kick, which central defender Emile Bearune only just failed to make contact with as he darted in unchallenged. Paston tidied up at the second attempt. Successive Smith free-kicks five minutes later sought to present the All Whites with the chance of doubling their advantage. New All Whites captain Winston Reid showed great improvisation as he fashioned a flying volley from an awkward angle. Nyikeine was equal to this effort, and was perfectly placed sixty seconds later to deal with the home team’s next attempt to double their lead, Wood controlling Smith’s free-kick on his chest and swivelling to unleash a half-volley which cannoned to safety off Lolohea. The New Caledonians responded with another brief flurry, in the twentieth minute. Noel Kaudre pounced on a clearance on half-way and threaded a pass through to the impressively performed Georges Gope-Fenepej, who saw his shot cannon to safety off Ivan Vicelich for a corner. Roy Kayara delivered the set-piece, with Paston flapping wildly and in vain as the ball arced across the goalmouth. It was eventually left to Michael McGlinchey to tidy things up, much to the frustration of a visiting side which had to win the game to have any chance of staving off New Zealand, only to find the All Whites’ defence in parsimonious mood throughout the first half. New Zealand came within inches of doubling their lead in the 26th minute, when Rojas’ free-kick picked out the head of Smith, who sent a bullet header crashing against the bar with Nyikeine - a quivering wreck whenever a cross was directed towards him - beaten all ends up. Five minutes later, a teasing cross-shot from the otherwise anonymous Jeremy Brockie - still no goals for his country after 36 internationals - landed on the roof of Nyikeine’s net, while the ‘keeper was right behind a twenty yarder from the same player soon afterwards, Wood, Smeltz and McGlinchey having combined to present Brockie with the chance. The half-time whistle sounded with the All Whites still just a goal to the good, but how they failed to double their advantage two minutes before the interval only they will know! Rojas played a corner short to Smeltz, whose miscued effort was flicked goal wards by Wood. A startled Nyikeine parried it, and both Wood and Smith attempted to turn home the rebound, the latter ultimately flicking the ball against the bar before referee Delovski stopped play, deeming that Smith had controlled the sphere with his hand somewhere in the middle of this flurry. Strange how the official managed to spot obscure incidents such as this one, then turned a blind eye to the most blatant offences imaginable … quite frankly, this was a match in which the referee failed to do his job both properly and to the best of his ability. A dereliction of duty? Let’s just say it wasn’t Mr Delovski’s finest hour-and-a-half by any stretch of the imagination, and the countries affected deserved far better. Knowing they had to win to maintain their hopes of qualifying for Brazil 2014, New Caledonia took the second half by the scruff of the neck and outplayed their hosts throughout the majority of it. But it was the All Whites who enjoyed the first chance, Bearune’s hurried clearance landing at the feet of Rojas, who instantly played in Wood. The striker’s shot was parried by Nyikeine, who recovered to gather the rebound before Rojas could pounce on it five minutes into the half. Two minutes later, the visitors within a foot of equalising. Kayara’s free-kick wasn’t cleared, allowing Kaudre to head the ball down into the stride of Dominique Wacalie. His ferocious volley fizzed just the wrong side of Paston’s left-hand post - a genuine let-off for the All Whites, who failed to heed the warning. For in the 56th minute, New Caledonia equalised, and it certainly wasn’t undeserved. Wacalie linked up with Gope-Fenepej, who drifted inside before spotting the untracked run of Lolohea through the inside-right channel.

By the time the All Whites’ static defence had reacted, the horse had bolted, Lolohea neatly controlling the ball on his chest before stabbing a first-time shot across Paston into the far corner of the net - 1-1, game on big-time! The All Whites’ response was sluggish. That of the New Caledonians was highly excited. Indeed, too much so, as evidenced in some of their challenges. Bearune clobbered Wood, the striker’s knee bearing the brunt of the defender’s challenge. And while he was being treated, Wacalie kicked Reid to the ground in an off-the-ball incident. Tempers understandably flared, and referee Delovski was fully stretched in his efforts to try and maintain order in the middle of a spell in which two free-kicks were awarded. Rojas took the first, but Nyikeine proved equal to it, not something which could be said of the ‘keeper’s attempts to deal with Wood’s 63rd minute delivery - he flapped in vain as it hit the far post, with his defenders sparing their ‘keeper’s blushes. The visitors gradually calmed down again, and in the 69th minute contrived a cracking move featuring Olivier Dokunengo, Wacalie and Gope-Fenepej, who jinked inside only to see his shot blocked. The rebound fell kindly into the stride of Lolohea, whose rasping drive ricocheted off Bertrand Kai and spun towards the target. Paston, advancing off his line, was able to react smartly before Kai could pursue the rebound. Three minutes later, Lolohea was giving the All Whites cause for concern near the left-hand corner flag, and his efforts attracted defenders like moths to a flame. The midfielder instinctively laid the ball back to the unmarked Gope-Fenepej, whose teasing chip from wide out almost deceived Paston - the ‘keeper saw it late and had to tip the effort round the post. The resulting corner was cleared, and prompted an All Whites counter-attack which culminated in a Rojas free-kick being headed on by Reid towards Smeltz, who somehow headed the ball straight at Nyikeine from inside the six-yard box - by his standards, a quite extraordinary miss! Another followed seconds later, this time from Wood. Rojas made in-roads on the right before picking out the target man with a beautifully weighted pass which put him clean through in the middle of the penalty area with just Nyikeine to beat. He did that, all right, steering his shot wide of the mark - an awful miss, sixteen minutes from time. Would they pay for their profligacy? New Caledonia certainly hoped so. Gope-Fenepej’s delightful jinking run culminated in him picking out Kayara, who drifted inside a challenge before lashing a twenty-five yarder goalwards. Paston parried the effort, but Kayara battered the rebound past the post with the ‘keeper prone and the goal at his mercy. Two minutes later, All Whites substitute Tim Payne was caught in possession, the ball being swiftly transferred to Gope-Fenepej, who invited Lolohea to let fly. It’s just as well there’s a roof on this particular stadium, otherwise the ball would have ended up in the waters which make up Port Chalmers, Dunedin’s harbour port. The All Whites responded seven minutes from time via their substitutes, Payne and Costa Barbarouses linking up to present Smeltz with another opportunity. But he again spurned it, the striker’s mis-timed shot being smothered by Nyikeine. Cue a stirring finale, with the All Whites desperately seeking a late winner to avoid the prospect of heading to Honiara for their final group game against the Solomon Islands needing to get a result to keep their Brazil 2014 hopes alive. Bertos floated in a free-kick from half-way which Wood headed on for Smeltz to do justice to. That he wasn’t able to direct his header on target wasn’t surprising, given he had Joel Wakanumune’s fully extended boot heading right for his forehead. Smeltz certainly wasn’t a pretty picture, blood pouring from his head as team-mates pleaded with referee Delovski to administer justice and award a penalty. But the official was having none of it - a goal kick was the correct decision as far as he was concerned. How steadfastly stubborn and utterly wrong could one be? The natives couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Was the All Whites’ first game in Dunedin for twenty-five years destined to end in a draw? Barbarouses tried to clinch it in stoppage time, latching onto Wood’s onward flick of Paston’s clearance. A defender blocked the substitute’s shot to safety. Cue a final flurry, Barbarouses floating in a free-kick from wide on the right near half-way. Into the penalty area the ball arced, the head of Reid its target. The All Whites’ captain duly guided the ball inside him, where Smith was rising to head it goalwards. Nyikeine dived in vain as the defender’s twelve-yard header careered one bounce into the far corner of the net at the death, sparking scenes of wild delight among the Kiwi contingent as they celebrated this dramatic stoppage time winner, which leaves the All Whites just two games away from successive FIFA World Cup Finals … Roll on November, and the two-legged play-off with CONCACAF’s fourth-placed contender, a contest which, like this one, the All Whites will be happy to win, no matter how. All Whites:      Paston; Reid, Vicelich, Smith; Bertos (booked, 90), McGlinchey, Killen (Payne, 75), Brockie (Barbarouses, 80); Rojas, Wood, Smeltz (Hogg, 90) New Cale’:      Nyikeine; Ixoee, E. Bearune (booked, 60), Wakanumune (booked, 73), Wacalie; Kayara (Gnipate, 87), Kaudre (Kabeu, 77) (G. Bearune, 82), Dokunengo, Lolohea (booked, 56); Kai, Gope-Fenepej Referee:           Strebre Delovski (Australia)