Mark Paston

Mark Paston (2008)

Mark Paston ( born December 13, 1976 in Hastings, New Zealand ) is a former New Zealand football player. The goalkeeper took with the New Zealand national team in several international tournaments and played professionally in England, Scotland and New Zealand.

Club career

Paston began his active career in New Zealand in Napier City Rovers. 2003 after he had completed his studies, he moved to England to the local second division club Bradford City. As a goalkeeper started the season, led persistent groin problems for an operation in early 2004 and several months of failure. In April he returned for two more games back in the gate of Bradford, but could not prevent the descent of clubs in the Football League One. According to financial problems in Bradford, he joined in the summer of 2004, the third league rivals FC Walsall on. In the early phase of the 2004/05 season, he took over the Walsall goalkeeper position of Richard McKinney, lost his place but already in October after the signing of Joe Murphy again and was finally released in February 2005 from his contract.

In August 2005 he signed a one-year contract with Scottish club FC St. Johnstone, arrived there but only two appearances until his departure in January 2006. Subsequently, he returned to New Zealand and played for professional club New Zealand Knights ten games in the A- League. Following the liquidation of the association at the end of the season he signed a contract with the newly formed club Wellington Phoenix, was there but behind his compatriot Glen Moss until his departure in the summer of 2009, only substitute goalkeeper. In the 2009/10 season, he broke off after the 17th matchday foot and fell for the rest of the game from time. After the 2012/13 season, he announced his retirement from professional football.

National

For the New Zealand national team debut in 1997 against Paston Indonesia. In 2003 he was in New Zealand squad for the Confederations Cup, did not come at Vorrundenaus as a substitute goalkeeper behind Mike Utting but used. A year later at the OFC Nations Cup 2004 Paston was goalkeeper in the final round, finished with his team but surprisingly behind Australia and the Solomon Islands only the third place. In the 2010 World Cup qualifiers Paston was mostly regulars, the Confederations Cup in 2009, were granted Moss preference.

In the two play-off games at the World Cup finals against Bahrain Paston in goal and held the decisive 1-0 home success in the 51st minute a penalty. With this victory New Zealand qualified for the first time since 1982 for the World Cup finals, was at the Paston in all three games of the All Whites between the posts. Its use was facilitated by the fact that his opponent Moss was closed due to a sending off during the World Cup qualifiers for the first two group games. His 36th and last international match played Paston in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup with a 2-1 win over New Caledonia.