All Whites goalkeeper Mark Paston is being hailed a hero after a spectacular performance in New Zealand's 1-1 draw against Italy at the soccer World Cup in South Africa this morning.

With the reigning world champions putting up seven shots on goal and holding 57 percent of possession, Paston was forced to work hard to keep the ball from reaching the back of the net.

"The game seems a blur, it seemed to last 10 minutes," Paston said following the game.

"It's nice to actually get a hand on the ball.

"It's quite problematic at times. It moves around a fair bit. Defensively we were pretty sound. We kept shots down to a minimum and made them cross the ball. I quite like my crosses."

New Zealand put the Italians under pressure after seven minutes when striker Shane Smeltz latched onto a Simon Elliott free-kick and give the All Whites a shock lead.

The Italians managed equalise in the 29th minute, when a penalty was awarded after Daniele De Rossi fell in the box under pressure from New Zealand's Tommy Smith.

Vincenzo Iaquinta slotted the penalty in the right hand corner as Paston went the wrong way.

However, the penalty was the only goal the European side could get past the 33-year-old New Zealand keeper.

After several earlier tips to push the ball out of the danger zone, Paston turned heads with a diving, one-handed save in the 70th minute to stop a powerful Riccardo Montolivo shot from outside the goal.

He capped off the sterling performance in the 88th minute as he punched clear a dangerous long-range shot from captain Fabio Cannavaro.

Paston said his team's efforts were incredible.

"You probably saw in the last five minutes of the game there were guys going down with cramp everywhere."

New Zealand Football chairman Frank van Hattum, who was New Zealand's goalkeeper during the 1982 World Cup, said Paston had more than made up for any shakiness in last week's 1-1 draw with Slovakia.

"Mark had an absolutely fantastic game," van Hattum told Radio New Zealand.

"I did reach over to the Prime Minister and say 'this man deserves a knighthood' and he said 'he can have whatever he wants right now'."

Van Hattum said he had not yet seen Italy's penalty.

"Like to think it was dodgy - a diving Italian - and in the second half our guys are really upset they didn't get a penalty when there was a swinging elbow in one of the boxes, but that's football."

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