Hockey: Australia awake to tiresome Kiwi ruse

New Zealand coach Kevin Towns. Picture / Peter Meecham

For all but the last few minutes the New Zealand men's hockey team frustrated Sultan Azlan Shah Cup favourites Australia in Kuala Lumpur.

In the end the Australians won 2-1, the second loss by that margin for the Black Sticks, but not before the New Zealanders had taken something from the game.

"We tried to bore them to death and they did not like it," New Zealand coach Kevin Towns said.

"We deliberately went out to play a defensive pattern. The Australians had a fair percentage of the ball but became frustrated when they couldn't break our defence down."

In goal, Wellington's Kyle Pontifex played the whole match and was praised by Towns for his effort as was young Canterbury defender Shea McAleese.

"We were not without our chances but if we had scored in the first hour it would have been against the run of play," Towns said.

The deadlock was broken when Bradley Shaw returned after five minutes in the sin bin.

"The players seemed to relax when he returned and they did not defend a penalty corner - one we have seen from the Australians before and should have kept out - and Michael McGann scored.

"Grant Schubert added another soon after and we got back [into the match] late when David Kosoof, who had gone close earlier, scored from a penalty corner," Towns said.

New Zealand were without regular centre-half and captain Simon Towns and striker Bevan Hari.

It was initially thought Towns would be out for the tournament when he left the turf early in New Zealand's first game with a suspected broken thumb, but his father/coach said it was not as serious as originally feared and he was hopeful Simon might play against South Africa in this morning's match.

Hari, who received a nasty whack on the knee was more likely to return for tomorrow night's match against Malaysia.

A win over South Africa would get New Zealand back on track for a top four finish and a shot at a medal. Their last match is against Korea on Thursday night.

Pakistan, with a three-from-three record (including a 2-1 win over New Zealand) led the tournament going into last night's round by a point from Australia, the only other unbeaten team.