Hockey: Australians seal Olympic spot

By TERRY MADDAFORD

A second 2-0 win in five days over a plucky New Zealand team booked the Australian women their ticket to next year's Athens Olympics.

Last night's win at Lloyd Elsmore Park assured the Australians of the Oceania spot.

The New Zealanders have a second, and last, chance to join the Hockeyroos at the Olympics when they host the qualifying tournament at the same stadium in March.

In scoring a goal in each half, the visitors always held the upper hand but the Black Sticks showed the gap might again be closing.

With the feeling they were "doing it for Lizzy", as a tribute to team-mate Lizzy Igasan, whose mother Cathy died this week, the New Zealand team tore into the opening exchanges.

Using Niniwa Roberts-Lang, then Kayla Sharland at centre-forward, New Zealand tried, with little success, to test the visitors through the middle. Only when they went wide did the home team threaten to work their way into scoring positions.

Even then it was not easy against a well-disciplined Australian defence led by experienced fullback Angie Skirving, who intercepted well and deftly turned defence into attack.

Using Julie Towers and Nikki Hudson's pace to run at the New Zealand defence, the visitors were always dangerous.

Defender Di Weavers was under constant pressure but used the experience of 100-plus games at this level to keep some control.

At times New Zealand were caught at the back, especially when Caryn Paewai, left without support, tried to dribble out and turned over possession. However she was later named their player of the match.

New Zealand built their best attacks through their most experienced player, Suzie Pearce, but too often she was forced to drop deep in search of the ball.

The home team's first chance came on the back of one such Pearce raid in the 10th minute but Tara Drysdale's shot was blocked by goalkeeper Rachel Imison.

Three minutes later Pearce was again the provider. She played in to Sharland, who fired across the face of the goal, but Amanda Christie failed to threaten at the far post.

After failing with two penalty corner attempts, the visitors went ahead in the 15th minute when a New Zealand clearance was intercepted and the ball played to Peta Gallagher, who fired through goalkeeper Helen Clarke's pads.

The Black Sticks struck back immediately to win their only penalty corner of the spell but could do nothing with the chance.

Keen to play the game deep in New Zealand territory early in the second spell, the Australians employed their version of the full court press, giving the New Zealand midfield little opportunity of getting the ball forward.

That pressure eventually told when, in the 53rd minute, Melanie Twitt played a great ball in. Clarke blocked but Katrina Powell was on hand to provide the finish.

New Zealand forced a couple of late penalty corners but failed to convert.

The third test will be played in Whangarei tomorrow.