New Zealand dodged a bullet to finish top qualifiers from pool B at the women's Festival of Hockey event in Hastings tonight.
The world No 4 team were 1-0 down to No 15 Ireland at halftime, courtesy of a Nicola Evans goal. However Anita Punt, from a penalty corner, StaceyMichelsen, with a reverse stick shot, and Charlotte Harrison, in her 200th international, scored to give the Black Sticks a 3-1 win, to follow victories over India and China.
Black Sticks assistant coach Sean Dancer said it was a tough game against an improving Irish side.
"Ireland were always going to be a strong opponent, and they gave us a really good contest which is a good thing going into the quarter-finals," he said.
"We weren't so good in the first half and we had to weather the storm under pressure. In the second half though our girls really fired up performed strongly."
