Last gasp goal sees NZ draw with Slovakia

But three minutes into injury time,Reid popped up at the

back post to head Shane Smeltz’s cross in off the post to deny

Slovakia victory in their first World Cup match as an

independent nation.

It was no more than New Zealand deserved from a scrappy encounter in which Slovakia did little that will worry group rivals Italy or Paraguay,who also drew 1-1 on Monday.

With Slovakia struggling to get their passing game going in cold,windy conditions,it was the All Whites who had the better of the chances with both Chris Killen and Smeltz (twice) failing to take good chances before Reid found the net.

Middlesbrough’s Killen needed only five minutes to underline the threat he poses in the air,outjumping both centrebacks to meet Simon Elliott’s inswinging free-kick with a header that was directed straight at Slovakia’s goalkeeper Jan Mucha.

Twenty minutes had elapsed before Slovakia produced a moment of menace,captain Marek Hamsik curling a shot beyond the far post.

Gradually they began to assert themselves and,after being played into the box by the lively Vladimir Weiss,Stanislav Sestak toe-poked a shot inches wide of Mark Paston’s left-hand upright.

Paston,who had already flapped hesitantly at one cross,was fortunate to escape unpunished after completely missing the ball as he attempted to punt the ball clear from the left edge of his box.