The women's Black Sticks remain unbeaten in their quest for Olympic hockey glory, with a 2-1 victory over Japan keeping them on track for the quarter-finals.
It was a far less convincing performance than their stunning 3-0 win over World No 2 Argentina in their opening game, with the 14th-rankedhosts putting up a fight despite the Black Sticks having the services of skipper Stacey Michelsen and Sam Charlton - who both missed the opener through injury.
However, the win places New Zealand as one of two unbeaten teams in the group, with Australia ahead of them on goal difference, with the winless Japanese and Spanish squads in trouble in a group where four of the six teams advance to the quarter-finals.
The Black Sticks look like they'll make that stage, but they'll need to be better than they were against Japan.
Two goals in the space of three minutes just before halftime proved decisive, with Olivia Merry and Hope Ralph making the most of a couple of penalty corners.
The Japanese were far less clinical - converting only one of their six penalty corners - but the hosts can be proud of the way they frustrated the Kiwi side.
The underdogs even took the lead from that aforementioned converted penalty corner. After the ball struck Ella Gunson's foot, a drag-flick from Shihori Oikawa found the bottom corner with the help of a slight deflection – the first goal New Zealand have conceded at Tokyo.
However, New Zealand found the equaliser they wanted before halftime thanks to all-time leading scorer Merry, who smashed home a penalty corner into the bottom corner, and shortly after she had another penalty corner blocked, but regathered the rebound and fired across goal where Hope Ralph was on hand to deflect home the ball.
New Zealand's Hope Ralph celebrates after scoring against Japan. Photo / AP
In the second half, they held onto their slender lead, with the impressive hosts coming repeatedly close to finding an equaliser in the third quarter.
The Japanese earned four penalty corners in the period but New Zealand barely survived them all, with a combination of poor finishing and good saves from goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon keeping the score at 2-1.
The Black Sticks also twice dealt with a reduction in playing numbers in the third, with Katie Doar's green card followed by Liz Thompson's yellow.
Further nervy moments followed but the Kiwis held on for an unconvincing victory, yet one that still puts them in a strong position to advance out of their pool, with their next match coming against bottom-placed Spain tomorrow afternoon.
