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Smith Skippers New Zealand to Victory
Saturday, 13th Oct 2012 09:20

Town defender Tommy Smith skippered New Zealand to a 2-0 victory in a World Cup qualifier in Tahiti overnight. Shane Smeltz and Ben Sigmund netted a goal in either half for the All Whites.

Smith, winning his 19th full cap, played the full 90 minutes and cleared the Tahitians’ best chance off the line late on in the game.

Afterwards, the 22-year-old said: "We nullified them quite well and stuck to our game plan and got the three points."

New Zealand have now won their first three qualifiers and victory when they face Tahiti again on Tuesday, this time at home in Christchurch, will take Ricki Herbert’s side close to an intercontinental play-off with a CONCACAF nation for a place at Brazil 2014.

Smith, 22, may surrender the captaincy to regular skipper Ryan Nelsen for that game with the QPR man due to join up with the squad in the next couple of days after a knee injury.

Midfielder Josh Carson is the only other Town player away with an international squad at present, with Northern Ireland, who take on Portugal away on Tuesday, also in a World Cup qualifier.


Photo: Action Images



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GibbsITFC added 10:02 - Oct 13
Well done tommy
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bigolconnor added 10:10 - Oct 13
I second that.
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allwhites5 added 10:32 - Oct 13
Well done Tommy! 3 points!
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NoelTheDub added 10:59 - Oct 13
Well done tommy....Even with an average team a decent manager can get 3pts and a clean sheet,is he free next sat.Even chambers and higgenbottem cant keep a clean sheet for us and thats because our manager plays 1up and strikers on the wing..Iwould like to see you at right full and moshni at left back the great wall of china.cressy and carlos on the wing, only joking this morning lads great to have a mental break from our club troubles.
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TimmyH added 11:20 - Oct 13
Yay! - what's it like to be on a winning team? well done Tommy!
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Garv added 11:22 - Oct 13
What a ridiculous and bizarre comment NoelTheDub.
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Wickets added 11:34 - Oct 13
Future Ipswich skipper? top marks Tommy. PJ and past managers have always been quoted as saying young players need time to develope and not be overplayed Tommy has had about 2 or more years football with no break, world cups ect for NZ, PJ started the season playing him every game including Carling cup(or whatever its now called) mistake, no wonder he has slipped up on occasions but it was not for lack of effort.
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NoelTheDub added 11:36 - Oct 13
THANKS GARV...Just getting over the irish result last night. Trappatoni reminds me of someone he plays 1up walters ,simon cox on the wing and 2 holding midfielders and point blank refuses to give young hungry lads a chance since our shambles in the euros.beaten 6 1 at home ok by germany but it was the way we played ,SPINELESS, does that ring a bell garv....
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brendanh added 11:39 - Oct 13
Correlation between Smith's loss of form and making 26,000 mile round trips this season?
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Bergholtblue added 12:03 - Oct 13
They say winning breds confidence so this must be a good result for the lad, but lets not get carried away it was only Tahiti!

I agree with BrendanH its a hell of a way to go to play a couple of matches. This excessive travelling and the fact he didn't get a rest this summer due to the Olympics must have had an effect on the lad's form.
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Wickets added 12:34 - Oct 13
Yes Bergholtblue, that was my point as well no rest for 2 summers i think,no breaks than played in midweek cup game when he could have been rested, we did still have Delaney then.
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NoelTheDub added 13:04 - Oct 13
Lads we have been saying to the manager for the last 18 mts you need to rest tommy smith and he goes and lets delaney go before he can replace him,then he waits for 5 or 6 matches to get loans in.Chances are we are going to be in bottom 3 at xmas and higgingbottom will be gone back and jetlagged tommy will be thrown to the lions again some set up that.
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hairbear added 20:43 - Oct 13
I will sum up what you are all trying to say... JEWELL OUT!!!
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ernie added 02:37 - Oct 15
Oh for gods sake when will you realise Smith is useless....future Ipswich captain I hope not!!!!
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