Australian Men’s Hockey Team retains Oceania Cup Title
Australian men’s hockey team powered a convincing 6-1 win over New Zealand to clinch the eighth consecutive title in the Oceania Cup. The one-sided competition took place on October 09, 2011 at the Tasmania Hockey Centre in Hobart, Australia.
In the first game of the three-match series, the Kiwi side turned out victorious by 3-0, which was their first win since 1999. The second match concluded with a draw of 3-3.
At the crucial point of losing the number one position in world ranking, the Kookaburras required four goals in the third game to save themselves. The home team proved their endurance by plying real intensity and triumphed with five goals.
The host team led the game superbly. They gained an advantage with a short corner in the very first minute. Eddie Ockenden – the veteran player from Australia brilliantly availed the opportunity through a drag-flicking shot and put their team ahead at the
scorecard.
The Australians demonstrated true commitment and great fervor throughout the game. Mark Knowles and his teammate Matthew Butturini gave their team a further heads up with a penalty stroke in the 10th minute of the play.
Simon Orchard fiercely grabbed a two-goal edge for the Kookaburras that substantially boosted the morale of his teammates. Kieran Govers converted a short corner in the 16th minute raising the score that remained unchanged until halftime.
Glenn Turner – the veteran player from Australia was at his best in the final game and scored three in the 42nd, 55th and 60th minutes to take an insurmountable lead.
Phil Burrows – the skipper from New Zealand converted a controversial penalty stroke for the Black Sticks but it could not save them from the humiliating defeat and they lost the title at 6-1.
The Kookaburras Coach, while briefing the media, said that the players put up an impressive show, relative to the first two games. However, he was of the opinion that they still need to put in plenty of effort before the Olympics.
“I think we have had a significant dip in form over the last few months and hopefully the players have been reminded about how much work there is to be done,” Charlesworth stated. “That said, we have also shown what we can do when we play at our best.”
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