Holland hold Australia in thriller

22/01/2002

HOLLAND followed Australia step-for-step and played their best match at
the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night to snatch a well-
deserved draw.
Holland played like wounded tigers and took the game to Australia but in
the 13th minute itself they suffered a set-back.
Australia won their first penalty corner and three players exchanged
passes in their set-piece before Matthew Smith hammered in from an acute
angle for an early lead.
Holland were a different side than the one which lost to New Zealand and
Pakistan and showed some resemblance to the team which won the World Cup
in 1998 in Utrecht and the Olympic gold in Sydney.
The orange outfit mounted a well-planned attack and in the 19th minute,
they scored a field goal when Karel Klaver sounded the board off a
goalmouth melee.
But they were brought down to earth again six minutes later when the
Sydney Olympic bronze medallists cracked their goalmouth open again. This
time, Ben Taylor finished it for them.
The match looked far from over and became more exciting after that with
both teams having numerous goal-scoring opportunities which were either
saved by the goalkeeper or the post.
In the 41st minute, Australia increased the lead off a Jamie Dawyer
field goal for a 3-1 lead but three minutes later, Bram Lomans, who did
not play in the earlier two matches, closed the gap for Holland with a
flick which grazed the top bar and went in.
It was only Holland's second penalty corner of the match and Lomans
delivered. The goal made a big diference in the Dutch game and in the 55th
minute Teun de Nooijer's field goal brought the Dutch on level terms with
Australia for the first time in the match.
But Micheal McCann's field goal in the 57th minute again placed
Australia on top. Holland were in fiery form and 10 minutes later,
equalized 4-4 when Marten Eikelboom's back-stick attempt sailed into goal.
The final horn blew as the action thickened and both the hockey giants
ended up sharing points in one of the most exciting matches in the Six-
Nation to date.
Meanwhile, Pakistan knocked the daylights out of Japan with nine goals
in a lop-sided match.
Japan shocked Pakistan in the 6th minute when Takahiko Yamabori scored a
soft field goal but that was as far as they were allowed to go.
Pakistan took tight control of the match after that and in the end their
dazzling stickwork put the Japanese into deep slumber as they romped home.
Kashif Jawed scored a hat-trick and the rest of the Pakistanis had a
field day but missed about 30 chances in front of the Japanese goalmouth.
But Pakistan team manager Khalid Khokhar was far from happy with his
men: "Although the scoreline looks good, we missed far to many chances and
against a tougher side, we would have been punished for it. The first half
was not too good for Pakistan and we have to work on improving that area
before the World Cup."
(END)