Hockey: Australia take command, qualify for final

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Australia marched into the Champions Trophy hockey final with a game to spare but have vowed to play their best team against New Zealand on Saturday in their final top-four group match.

The Hockeyroos beat the Netherlands 4-2 at North Harbour Stadium this afternoon to take maximum points into their final game against the Black Sticks and can finish second at worst in group C.

The reigning Champions Trophy and world champions dominated most of the match and should have been ahead more than 1-0 at halftime but they took control after the break thanks to a brace to Matt Gohdes and another to Jamie Dwyer, who took his tournament tally to seven goals after he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper as the Dutch chased the game. The Netherlands scored a consolation in the final minute to Valentin Verga.

It was often a testy match between arguably the two best sides at the tournament, which was unsurprising given the high stakes.

The result helped New Zealand's cause ahead of the Black Sticks' match against Spain tonight, leaving the Dutch on the same points as New Zealand (one), but Australia coach Ric Charlesworth said that was the only help they would give their transtasman rivals.

``Someone might offer us an inducement,'' Charlesworth joked. ``We will play as hard as we do every time. It's only fair for all the other teams.

``I was pretty happy with the first half. That was some of the most solid we have played [at the tournament]. I don't think we are nearly solid enough yet so we have to do a lot better in that respect.'