All Whites fans already saving for dream trip to world cup

SCOTT HAMMOND/ The Marlborough Express

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Dennis Wye, left, and Kevin Hart before heading off to Wellington.

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Blenheim football fan Kevin Hart has been to stadiums all over the world but has never experienced a crowd quite like that at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.

The diehard football fan has travelled from Europe to South America to watch his favourite sport, and was among the 35,000 raucous fans who cheered the All Whites to a historic 1-0 win over Bahrain and their second appearance in the World Cup finals.

"It's not the biggest or the best atmosphere at a football game I've been to, but the fact that New Zealand was involved made it more special. Because it was my own country and my own team made it more significant," he said.

Fellow Blenheim football fanatic Dennis Wye was also on hand for the historic match, and said he had never experienced anything like it.

"I've watched the replay on TV and it didn't show the atmosphere," he said.

The night provided plenty of highlights, but both men agreed that certain moments brought the crowd alive.

Bahrain keeper Sayed Mohammed Jaffar's reflex save of a Rory Fallon header briefly brought the crowd to their feet, though that reaction was nothing compared with the explosion when Fallon scored minutes later.

The crowd rode the emotional rollercoaster throughout the second half, especially when Bahrain were awarded a penalty shot soon after the resumption of play.

"I had my head in my hands. I thought, `This is it, we're out'," Mr Wye said.

However, All Whites goalkeeper Mark Paston picked the right direction and produced the crucial save.

Mr Hart, a goalkeeper himself but renowned for his inability to save spot kicks, is certain that even he could have saved the shot. "I would have picked right, too. He hit it well but didn't put it wide enough. I'm sure I could have got to it."

However, the best moment for both men came when the final whistle sounded. As with the rest of New Zealand's football faithful, they are now checking out tickets to South Africa for the World Cup in June and July next year.

Mr Hart said he was already counting his funds, and joked about starting a "Send Harto to Africa" meat raffle. "I've been waiting 27 years for this. I'll be there one way or another. To watch the All Whites in a World Cup is one of my big dreams."

- The Marlborough Express

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