HOCKEY - Skipper smiles after loss that could have been a win

Northland ITM men's hockey captain John Child was all smiles after his side's 2-4 defeat by Midlands yesterday but he couldn't hide his disappointment at the loss.
His side produced some of their best hockey of the NHL campaign to lead the match 2-1 at the break but failed to back up that performance in the second spell.
Child said they could have won the match but failed to extend their lead after halftime and "went to sleep", allowing Midlands to score three goals in 10 minutes to take the points.
He remained positive after the match and said the performance was at least a step in the right direction after their 0-8 hammering the previous day at the hands of North Harbour.
"We have two big games next week and we have to focus on that and take things one step at a time. Today was an improvement and we have to take what we can from it," he said.
Mark Thorne got the ball rolling for Northland after they had soaked up all the early pressure from Midlands. He scored from a narrow angle following a good break down the right flank.
A midfield turnover cost Northland seven minutes later and with the defense outnumbered, Midland's Lincoln Churchill scored. However, David Heappey scored from an excellent penalty corner variation on the stroke of halftime to retake Northland's lead.
Northland keeper Jareth Cocking maintained their advantage in the second spell with two or three good saves but the Midlands pressure was beginning to tell and they conceded goals to Black Stick Lloyd Stephenson, German import Phil Stahr and Sandeep Puna.
Child maintains there is still plenty to play for in the competition and it is the more experienced players who he said hold the key.
"Individually we have players who have played a lot at this level and they have to start stepping up," he said.
"If we have a big finals weekend we can still finish top of the bottom teams and that's what we have to target now."
Saturday's game against North Harbour was a disaster from start to finish .
"We just turned too much ball over and they ran us ragged," was how Child summed up the game.
Ironically Michael Delaney, who played for Northland last season, started the rot against his former province with the first goal. Fittingly perhaps, another former Northland player, Shay Neal, scored the final goal in the 8-0 defeat.