Reid header ruins Slovakia's big day

Winston Reid's header deep into added-time saw Slovakia's FIFA World Cup finals debut come to an unsatisfactory end after Róbert Vittek's 50th-minute goal looked set to hand Vladimír Weiss's side victory.

Reid eluded the Slovakian defence to head Shane Smeltz's cross in off the post as the European side's composure failed them at the last, with a 1-1 draw leaving all four sides in Group F level with one point and one goal each. Forward Vittek had earlier nodded Stanislav Šesták's deep ball from the right inside Mark Paston's far post to give Slovakia the lead at the Royal Bafokeng stadium.

New Zealand's best previous finals results had been two defeats by three-goal margins at the 1982 event, but they started the game brighter, with a Chris Killen header forcing Ján Mucha into an early save. Vittek might have done better when Paston's miscue left him in space on the half-hour, but retreating defenders crowded him out, and Smeltz's powerful shot was then pushed wide by Mucha.

Once Vittek had opened the scoring with the first meaningful chance of the second half, Slovakia showed a little more class, and it took a brilliant Reid tackle to deny the striker a second goal as a sharp passing move left him bearing down on goal on 69 minutes. New Zealand, however, threatened still, and might have levelled earlier had Smeltz not missed the target from Tony Lochhead's 87th-minute cross. On Sunday Slovakia face Paraguay, who also drew 1-1 with New Zealand's next opponents, Italy.