Hockey: Sad figure sums up team's grief

By BRONWYN SELL

It went unnoticed at first.

As an elated Indian women's team leapt into the air after the hooter secured their unexpected semifinal win yesterday, New Zealand goalkeeper Helen Clarke slumped to the sodden ground.

With head bowed and chest-guard discarded at her side, she knelt in her circle, motionless as the rain poured on to her.

For five long minutes she stayed there, forgotten. Not until the field was deserted did reserve goalkeeper Anne-Marie Irving notice the solitary figure in the lake of green.

Irving, 25, walked through the gloom to her 31-year-old captain, knelt beside her and picked up the chest-guard.

The crowd began to clap. Clarke slowly pushed herself up and the two goalkeepers walked off the field side-by-side.

"Helen has been around for a long time and she particularly wanted to do well in this tournament. I think she was pretty upset not to get into the finals," coach Jan Borren understated afterwards.

New Zealand had gone into the game as favourites to make Monday's final. At fulltime it looked as if they would have to settle for a bronze medal in the playoff.

But two hours later, England pulled off the upset of the tournament by beating favourites Australia 2-1, leaving New Zealand with a much tougher task to finish third.

The match that was supposed to decide the gold and silver will now decide the bronze and nothing.

New Zealand began promisingly against India, who they had already beaten 3-1 in a pool match.

Wise, short passes and good teamwork were rewarded in the fifth minute with a goal to Suzie Pearce, fed neatly into the circle from a charge along the goal-line by Jaimee Provan.

For the rest of the first half New Zealand dominated possession, but none of their eight shots at goal found the mark.

India found pace less than two minutes before the break when Jyoti Kullu nudged a feed into the centre of the circle past Clarke to level the scores.

New Zealand trudged off at halftime looking as miserable as the weather. When they returned it appeared as if the rain had doused their spark. India were about to fire, and referee Dawn Henning would play a major hand. Twenty-three minutes later a New Zealand player knocked down Pritam Siwach as she was lining up a promising shot at goal and Henning awarded a penalty stroke.

Kullu placed the ball and waited, poised. Indian coach Gurdial Bhangu later said she had been waiting for a whistle.

Henning called a break and spoke to her. An obviously tense Clarke paced. Kullu again lined up the shot, and again she waited. Henning cancelled the stroke.

The Indians erupted. All 10 field players surrounded Henning and protested. The Englishwoman was unrepentant, and pulled out several green warning cards.

In hindsight she did them a favour. When the game restarted, they unleashed their fury on the now hapless New Zealanders.

A minute later Henning atoned by awarding a penalty corner after a seemingly minor infringement by New Zealand outside the circle. It found its target, but was ruled too high.

With 10 minutes remaining, Indian captain Surja Waikholm was yellow-carded, and the Indians went on a rampage, scoring 60 seconds later when Clarke slid and Mamta Kharab capitalised.

New Zealand scrambled desperately in the last minutes, but were unable to recover.

Afterwards, Borren said his inexperienced team missed too many opportunities.India tended to pull off surprises, and this was one.

"I think the team were pretty devastated," Borren said. "I've been in sport a long time and you get the disappointments. We've got to accept the times it doesn't happen. Clearly we can still get a bronze medal and that is what we will have to concentrate on."

Bhangu had words with Henning immediately after the game, but was diplomatic at the media conference, suggesting that perhaps Kullu did not hear a whistle because of the rain.

"I can't comment on it. But the normal procedure was not followed."

The New Zealand team escaped from waiting media into their changing-rooms. Later, they emerged to board a minibus.

Clarke, eyes wet and nose red, dawdled on last. With head bowed and cap pulled well down, she dragged her gear bag behind her, as if it had become a great burden.

In the other semi, Australia were unable to match England's feverish intensity and the home team charged to their first victory over the world, Olympic and Commonwealth champions in three years.

England led 2-0 at halftime. Australian vice-captain Lou Dobson scored her team's only goal off a penalty corner in the dying minutes.

Now the transtasman rivals are set for yet another encounter, but not for the medals they expected.

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