Hockey: Transtasman rivals share points, leave guess work on final berths

Black Sticks Brooke Neal (left), Kirsten Pearce, Natsha Fitzsimons, Rose Keddle and goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon quash any thoughts Hockeyroo Stephanie Kershaw may have harboured. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

The Black Sticks women and Hockeyroos shared the points to ensure there were no outright leaders in Hastings tonight.

The Transtasman rivals fought to a 1-all draw with a nail-biting last quarter at Unison Stadium in round five of Vantage Hawke's Bay Cup matches.

In the ninth minute, Australia striker/captain Emily Smith couldn't put away a shot at pointblank range as Queensland convert goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon stymied her flick with her foot pad.

But, overall, both sides seemed content in putting their feelers out.

However, it was the Green and Gold brigade who drew first blood, 1-0, in the 28th minute following a failed penalty corner attempt only a minute earlier, although a Kiwi midfielder had butchered a counterattack pass that might have told a different story at halftime.

The Hockeyroos put one past O'Hanlon with a deftly executed penalty corner.

Gabi Nance teed it up to the top of the D, Georgia Nanscawen trapped as season's rookie, Madeleine Ratcliffe, produced that sweet, woody drum-base sound to punctuate the night sky at the park ... unless, of course, you were a Vantage Black Sticks fan.

The Paul Gaudoin-coached Aussies made their intentions crisply clear as the night wore on when they mounted an attack within 30 seconds of restarting the third 15-minute quarter.

The Black Sticks looked a little sluggish and committed a few unforced errors that swung the momentum back to the Hockeyroos, something which assistant coach Sean Dancer would have noted for his pep talk.

It didn't help that New Zealand captain Olivia Merry picked up a two-minute spell in the naughty chair with a green card for ill discipline in the 37th minute but, luckily, the Aussies didn't capitalise on the disparity of numbers.

However, the equaliser came in the 51st minute amid clapping, cheers and wolf whistles as returning Black Sticks veteran striker Samantha Harrison popped the ball into the net in almost slow-mo fashion.

With a wall of yellow jerseys, Harrison's flick inside the D appeared to clip a defender's leg to curl over the outstretched hand and stick of substitute goalkeeper Ashlee Wells for one serious group hug.

The game came briefly to a halt after Hockeyroo Renee Taylor went down on the turf, writhing in pain before the umpires stopped play to help her hobble off.

With four minutes to go, the Black Sticks had a penalty corner but couldn't convert after Kirsten Pearce, Brooke Neal and Kim Tanner gave it their all.

In the dying minutes, the hosts had another PC after a Black Stick was fouled without possession as Hockeyroo Edwina Bone remonstrated with the whistle blower.

New Zealand couldn't make good and neither could the Aussies on counterattack as the crowd held its breath.