AUS V NZL ( 3rd / 4th ) Hockey World League Semi-Final Antwerp 2015


Match Review AUS - NZL 4-2
Australia won the third place match against their Oceania rivals New Zealand with a dominant display of attacking hockey and determined defence. New Zealand had their moments but in truth, the Hockeyroos set out their stall early and, despite conceding two goals, were never going to let go of the third Olympic qualification spot. The final scoreline of 4-2 belies a match that the Australia team never looked like losing.
Australia took a decisive hold of the game with two goals within two minutes, the first from Emily Smith (3') and the second from Jane Claxton (4').
Rocked by the whirlwind, New Zealand looked at sixes and seven's for much of the first quarter and Australia won a series of penalty corners. Sally Rutherford, in the Black Sticks goal, was called on to make some athletic saves, and the 'keeper didn't disappoint. However, even plucky Rutherford was unable to stop Australia's third goal. Her initial save bounced back to Mariah Williams (15') who put the ball away at the second attempt.
After the break, New Zealand came back into the game with renewed belief. A period of sustained pressure by the Black Sticks provided the perfect platform for Stacey Michelesen (38') to demonstrate her skill and speed. The forward weaved through the Australian defence and slotted past Ashlee Wells to reduce the deficit.
It wasn't just at the attacking end of the pitch that New Zealand began to show their mettle. A combined effort from Brook Neal and Rose Keddell stopped an almost certain fourth goal, Keddell stopping the shot and Neal calmly clearing. It was Neal who bravely saved from a Hockeyroos penalty corner minutes later, the ball was mis-fired by the usually reliable Jodie Kenny and Neal was alert to the danger posed by the rebound.
However, there was to be no stopping a rampant Australian team and Georgia Nanscawen (45') was on hand to crash home an unstoppable shot from the edge of the circle after Kenny made a beautiful pressure-easing aerial out of defence.
New Zealand came back again through captain Anita Punt (48'), who played on despite a foot injury. She fired home a drag flick penalty corner into the top corner of the goal.
Sally Rutherford kept the Black Sticks in the game with two great saves – one from a penalty corner, the other from open play, while Wells also performed acrobatics to deny a third New Zealand goal.
"We made it really hard on ourselves by conceding two goals so early," said Black Sticks Olivia Merry. "Although we competed well in second part of the game, you can't give Australia a 3-0 lead and hope to chase that down."
"We were so disappointed with our performance against the Netherlands," said Emily Smith. "We wanted to show what we are capable of. We know between now and Rio that we need to find innovative ways to beat the Netherlands and we need to improve our physicality so we stop them getting players behind us."
Goals
Team | Minute | Shirt # | Player | Action | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS | 3 | 26 | SMITH Emily | FG | 1 - 0 |
AUS | 4 | 18 | CLAXTON Jane | FG | 2 - 0 |
AUS | 15 | 24 | WILLIAMS Mariah | FG | 3 - 0 |
NZL | 34 | 31 | MICHELSEN Stacey | FG | 3 - 1 |
AUS | 45 | 2 | NANSCAWEN Georgia | FG | 4 - 1 |
NZL | 48 | 32 | PUNT Anita | PC | 4 - 2 |
Cards
Team | Minute | Shirt # | Player | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
NZL | 43 | 6 | WEBSTER Petrea | G |
NZL | 53 | 18 | PEARCE Kirsten | G |
AUS | 54 | 19 | PARKER Georgie | G |
AUS
Minute | Shirt # | Name | Goals | Green | Yellow | Red |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3
|
2 | NANSCAWEN Georgia | 1 | |||
3
|
3 | PERIS Brooke | ||||
X
|
4 | EASTHAM Casey | ||||
X
|
5 | WELLS Ashlee | ||||
2
|
6 | DWYER Kirstin | ||||
X
|
7 | KENNY Jodie | ||||
5
|
8 | NELSON Ashleigh | ||||
X
|
9 | FLANAGAN Anna | ||||
X
|
11 | McMAHON Karri | ||||
X
|
12 | BLYTH Madonna | ||||
X
|
13 | BONE Edwina | ||||
3
|
18 | CLAXTON Jane | 1 | |||
X
|
19 | PARKER Georgie | 1 | |||
X
|
20 | SLATTERY Kathryn | ||||
X
|
24 | WILLIAMS Mariah | 1 | |||
X
|
26 | SMITH Emily | 1 | |||
Bench
|
27 | LYNCH Rachael | ||||
3
|
29 | ATTARD Teneal | ||||
Assistant Coach | VICTORY Craig | |||||
Head Coach | COMMENS Adam | |||||
Stand-In Manager | STARRE Kate | |||||
Physiotherapist | COOKE Jennifer | |||||
Medical Doctor | RECHICHI Claire (Dr) | |||||
Medical Doctor | CLAYDON Gary | |||||
Team Manager | DAVIES Stephen |
NZL
Minute | Shirt # | Name | Goals | Green | Yellow | Red |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X
|
4 | MERRY Olivia | ||||
2
|
6 | WEBSTER Petrea | 1 | |||
30
|
7 | ROBERTS Ani | ||||
X
|
8 | RUTHERFORD Sally | ||||
X
|
9 | NEAL Brooke | ||||
Bench
|
10 | GIBSON Amelia | ||||
X
|
12 | GUNSON Ella | ||||
X
|
13 | CHARLTON Samantha | ||||
3
|
15 | KING Julia | ||||
X
|
16 | THOMPSON Liz | ||||
X
|
17 | COCKS Sophie | ||||
X
|
18 | PEARCE Kirsten | 1 | |||
X
|
22 | FLYNN Gemma | ||||
3
|
24 | KEDDELL Rose | ||||
3
|
26 | HAYWARD Pippa | ||||
3
|
27 | GRANT Jordan | ||||
X
|
31 | MICHELSEN Stacey | 1 | |||
X
|
32 | PUNT Anita | 1 | |||
Team Manager | BALME Debbie | |||||
Head Coach | HAGER Mark | |||||
Assistant Coach | DANCER Sean | |||||
Physiotherapist | MEYER Jessica | |||||
Stand-In Manager | MENEZES Jude |
DNP = Did not participate
S = Suspended
DSQ = Disqualified
Match Officials
Role | Official |
---|---|
Umpire 1 | WILSON Sarah |
Umpire 2 | ADENOT Claire |
Reserve Umpire | KANG Hyun Young |
Video Umpire | ROSTRON Annelize |
Judge 1 | McKAY Iain |
Judge 2 | WARRIS Rogier |
Technical Officer | DECKENBROCK Christian |
- Match 32
- Date Sat, 4 Jul 2015
- Time 15:30
- Pool/Class 3rd / 4th
- Venue KHC Dragons