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.