Hockey: Nightmare start, dream ending for Black Sticks

By DAVID LEGGAT

The Black Sticks overcame a nightmare beginning to give themselves a generous belt of self confidence in their bid for a spot in August's Olympic Games with a 2-2 draw against Great Britain yesterday.

Trailing 2-0 after just 10 minutes, and struggling to stay with the vastly more experienced world No 5 British team, world No 9 New Zealand showed considerable depths of resolve and spirit - not to mention skill and composure - at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga.

Amid a flurry of statistics, the most telling was the comparison in penalty corners. Britain had four to one in the first half; New Zealand six to one in the second. That tells its own tale on the flow of the game.

With an ounce of luck the Black Sticks could have pinched the win near the end as Britain, who had set the tone in the first half, lost the plot.

"I felt the girls were a little off colour in the first half; we were pretty ordinary," said New Zealand coach Ian Rutledge, adding that he always believed they would pick up their game provided they were patient.

"They're a talented team but I sometimes think the coach has more confidence in them than they do."

And he read the mood of British coach Trish Heberle expertly. "I know I'd be disappointed if I was 2-0 up and threw away such a good half."

Actually, he underestimated his opponent's reaction. Heberle looked set to clout someone as she mulled over 70 minutes which might yet prove critical when the tournament - from which the top five of 10 teams progress to Athens - reaches its business end next week.

"I'm extremely annoyed. We threw away two points, and I'm not taking anything away from New Zealand," Heberle said.

"[They] showed terrific courage."

Mel Clewlow put Britain ahead when her shot from a penalty corner took a deflection to beat Helen Clarke in the Black Sticks' goal.

Helen Grant increased the lead when NZ failed to cut out a ball rolled across the goal by Leisa King.

NZ defender Di Weavers, debutante midfielder Emily Naylor and captain Suzie Muirhead, who ran herself to a standstill in the heart of the operation, were key figures among a team who willed themselves back into the contest.

As their confidence grew, there was some slick interpassing and they found that by putting more heat on the player in possession they were able to make gains. Eighteen minutes into the second spell they were in the game when striker Niniwa Roberts-Lang clubbed home a penalty corner.

Two minutes later a mild dose of pandemonium erupted as Muirhead was on the end to score from close range after a Roberts-Lang strike from another penalty corner was blocked but not cleared.

The Black Sticks, with the injection of real self-belief gained from yesterday's effort, will be expecting to pick up three points against Ireland today.

The Irish edged past Ukraine 1-0 yesterday. In pool B, Japan walloped Russia 6-1 and, in the other big game of the day, world No 7 Spain, courtesy of a 25th minute goal by Lucia Lopez, beat world No 6 Korea.

In today's other games, Ukraine play Germany, the United States tackle Japan and Russia face Spain.