Blues youngster Monty Patterson started and played the first 53 minutes as New Zealand beat hosts Papua New Guinea on penalties in this morning’s Oceania Nations Cup final in Port Moresby.
The match ended 0-0 after extra-time but the All Whites won the shoot-out 4-2 to claim the trophy with former Town loanee Rory Fallon, who was wearing the captain’s armband, netting the first spotkick.
FT New Zealand 0-0 PNG
All square at the final whistle in #ONC final. Penalties to followhttps://t.co/mi4sI2D6MY pic.twitter.com/lJfDZj3wyC– FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 11, 2016
Midfielder or striker Patterson, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Town, was winning his fifth full cap as well as the first senior medal of his career, having made his All Whites debut from the start in their 3-1 victory over Fiji in their group opening game and then featuring from the bench in the subsequent wins against Vanuatu, 5-0, the Solomon Islands, 1-0, and in the semi-finals New Caledonia, also 1-0.
The 19-year-old returned to action for Town’s U21s in the closing weeks of 2015/16 having spent seven months out with a serious ankle injury.
CONGRATULATIONS @NZ_Football! Five-time Oceania champions! #ONC #NZLvPNG pic.twitter.com/sN2HqFgDXD– OFC Oceania Football (@OFCfootball) June 11, 2016
Winning the Oceania Nations Cup secures New Zealand a lucrative place at the Confederations Cup in Russia next summer.
The competition also serves as the Oceania Football Confederation's second round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.