Potter Tomas strikes just in time to boost Slovakia

TOMAS Rigo is returning to Stoke City as a new Slovakia hero after he popped up in the last minute to continue their 100 per cent World Cup qualifying record.

- Peter Smith

Slovakia were on cloud nine after a 2-0 win over Germany on Thursday but were then given a sterner test than many expected away at Luxembourg on Sunday night. It was 0-0 when Rigo came off the bench at halftime and still goalless when his new Stoke teammate Robert Bozenik was introduced.

But it was both Stoke players who were following up a shot from Lubomir Tupta in the 90th minute that the keeper couldn’t hold on to and it was Rigo who got the decisive final touch. The 23-year-old midfielder wheeled away in joy yet somehow seemingly still picked out a particular spectator.

Rigo told the Slovakian press: “I saw that Lub was somehow getting carried away and he had a touch on the shot. I believed that it could cause the goalkeeper problems if he hit the target, which is what happened. I managed to follow it up and knock it in the goal. It was the winning moment, which I'm very happy about, but the most important thing was the three points.