Hockey: Black Sticks rue missed chances in China loss

7.55am - By MARK GEENTY

ATHENS - New Zealand's all too common penalty corner woes struck again as their storming finish against China came to nought in their Olympic women's hockey opener today.

The Black Sticks lost 0-2 to the world's fourth-ranked side and were capable of snatching a draw as they made all the play in the last 10 minutes, but could not find the net.

New Zealand, ranked ninth, could not convert their five penalty corner chances, four of them in the dying minutes, while China earlier put away two of their six attempts.

"We need to be a bit tougher and not give away penalty corners and slot ours at the other end. We had plenty of chances, it was just a bit of execution at key moments," said captain Suzie Muirhead, after her 202nd international.

"It was a gritty performance, but we couldn't get points on the board which made it tough."

The speedier China's dominance in general play showed as they had 11 shots on goal to New Zealand's four.

The result left New Zealand needing a win over Japan on Thursday (NZT) to stay in medal contention and better their sixth placing from Sydney 2000.

Japan are their weakest pool opponent, having conceded six goals in their two losses to date including a 0-3 result against China.

New Zealand made a nervy start, botching their only penalty corner in the 12th minute, then China showed their class five minutes later when Ma Yibo converted their second corner attempt to open the scoring.

Defender Lizzy Igason made a desperate lunge to stop what looked a certain China goal and at 0-1 down New Zealand were still well in it at halftime.

"It was frustrating, a missed trap in the first half. If we'd got that we would have been 1-0 up and it would have made life a lot easier," Muirhead said.

New Zealand went two down early in the second half after goalkeeper Helen Clarke booted a clearance straight into Igason's midriff, she then saved two in a row before Tang Chunling lifted the ball over Clarke from close range.

Things could have got ugly as New Zealand's confidence waned, but they seemed to lift after a mass haka from the stands, led by men's player David Kosoof and boxer Soulan Pownceby.

Defender Di Weavers got involved more in the play and Stacey Carr did some good work on the left, creating New Zealand's first chance when she cracked a backhand shot which was parried by the China keeper.

Muirhead cracked a shot from outside the area which found the net, but no one could deflect it to make it a legitimate goal.

That signalled a period of sustained attack, with Niniwa Roberts-Lang having three corner attempts in a row, two of them saved by a diving keeper.

Then came New Zealand's best chance when a planned move saw Meredith Orr in front of an open goal but she failed to nail the deflection.

Muirhead said all was not lost, but a win over Japan was mandatory ahead of tougher matches against Argentina and Spain.

"We can take heart and come out firing in the next game against Japan."

China 2 (Ma Yibo, Pang Chunling) New Zealand 0. Halftime: 1-0.

- NZPA