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Smith on as Late Sub as All Whites Win
Saturday, 25th Mar 2017 09:45

Town defender Tommy Smith came on as an 88th minute sub as New Zealand beat Fiji 2-0 in Lautoka overnight in the first of two World Cup qualifiers between the sides.

Former Town loanee Chris Wood, now of Leeds, opened the scoring with a penalty three minutes after half-time and Melbourne Victory’s Marco Rojas added the second seven minutes later.

Smith was winning his 30th cap and playing his first game since returning to the All Whites fold. The 26-year-old, who has scored two international goals, last played for New Zealand in November 2014.

The result leaves the All Whites requiring only one point from Tuesday’s game against the Fijians in Wellington to go through to the next stage where they will meet the winners of the other Oceania qualification group - probably Tahiti - in a two-legged play-off.

The side which wins that will face the team which finishes fifth in the South American qualification group in an inter-confederation play-off for a place at the finals in Russia in the summer of 2018.

Town youngster Monty Patterson, who is currently on loan at Braintree, was also included in the squad but pulled out due to a hamstring injury.


Photo: TWTD



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MicksZzzTactics added 17:46 - Mar 25
Hmmmm if only the dreaded Dino was in far-away LAUTOKA ... and stayed there!!!

Disillusioned (but not really 'hole-in-one' like surprised!) that he is still employed this Saturday, when this here 2 week international fixture break was the optimal in-season opportunity to install a new manager!, especially in the light of the inherently indefensible record of only 2 wins this calendar year incl. just 1 in the last 13!!!

Ohhh well I guess we will just have to "look forward to" at least another 5 BREATHTAKING and beyond spectacular so called "excellent 1-point" draws -- yawn yawn -- the rest of the turgid way, which with perhaps also a little more Houdini-like luck bestowed on the Dino (in the other struggling teams games) then likely should be just enough to see us clear of relegation BEFORE the final game at Nottingham .......... and if it isn't??? Well then perfectly adhering to the old saying: "Nothing is as bad that it isn't good for something!" that game could very well be one of these ultra RARE games where the Dino is forced to setup and take the field going FOR A WIN!!! :-) Now disregarding the overshadowing matter of Championship survival just for a mere sec, wouldn't such an extreme rarity (i.e. seeing the Dino involuntarily having to go all-in for the win!!!) all on it's merry own, be well worth travelling all the way to Robin Hood 'country' for, even for the most fed-up & upset adult ITFC fan out there??? LOL :-) smile :-)
3

cat added 11:31 - Mar 26
Hell of a long way to travel for 2 mins plus stoppage time of high quality football. Let's hope he gets more of a run out in the next fixture, as all in all it's a complete waste of time!, and he will return frazzled for Saturdays big un!
2

Lathers added 18:41 - Mar 26
I think Webster and Smith will become a decent partnership next season (under new management). If not on the left side of a 3 with Chambers and Webster under present management. Good to have him back. He always gives 100%.
1

MicksZzzTactics added 20:53 - Mar 26
@cat

Concur & Concur!

A little handful of minutes playing time is ALMOST an insult (in a game practically already won!) to someone who has to travel this far!

And according to nifty sites like Entfernungsrechner.net ---- LOL! aye it's originally an German site as the super perceptive person probably have already deduced :-) but mercifully they've been so kind to also include online versions in other languages, and in the English one that obviously translate this ganZzz wünderbar word Entfernungsrechner = Distance Counter ---- the approximate airline distance from London UK is no less than a staggering 10,092 Miles (x 2 of course)!!! HOWEVER if ehmmm Smithy here happens to be suffering from severe "Aerial Phobia" better known as Fear of Flying, well then he would have to travel no less than approximately 8,763 Nautical Miles (x 2 of course)!!!
.....So aye I agree completely that our Smithy would be quite "frazzled" immediately afterwards, ONE WAY (having covered the combine back-and- forth distance by air) ... or "THE OTHER"(i.e. having covered it by kano, waterbike or whatever! LOL).
1

cat added 07:14 - Mar 27
MZT - Lets hope he sticks with air travel, after all Smithy is soooo predominately left sided! my fear would be this - that with any self propelled vehicle he could end up simply going round in circles, and he might not make it back at all!!!!
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