Hockey: Black Sticks aim at top four

The New Zealand women will rely on their growing confidence and hunger for goals to win their crucial final match against China tonight in the Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Macau.

The Black Sticks are fourth in the table after four matches but have scored the most goals - eight - in the tournament so far after one win, a draw and two defeats. They are now eyeing a top four finish.

No fewer than seven players have scored - Jaimee Provan (2), captain Suzie Pearce, Piki Hamahona, Michelle Turner, Tara Drysdale, Colleen Gubb-Suddaby and Amanda Christie.

All teams have played four times. Argentina have scored a total of seven goals, Australia five, the Netherlands and China four each and England one.

Tonight's other two final pool matches pit world No 1 and defending champions Argentina against Australia, who are level with them on seven points, and the Netherlands against bottom-placed England.

A win will give New Zealand at least fourth place, and third on goal difference if the Dutch fail to beat England by a big margin.

New Zealand finished fifth in the tournament last year and the main aim in Macau has been to finish higher.

Assistant coach Selwyn Maister said the team were well aware that hosts China had been the "spoilers" in the tournament, beating Australia and holding the top-seeded Argentines and second-seeded Dutch to draws.

China's strengths are speed, mobility and good stickwork, but it has not escaped New Zealand's attention that they are not great goalscorers.

Maister said the Chinese defended by congesting space for the ball carrier, and New Zealand would take advantage of this by moving the ball around fast.

He and coach Jan Borren were happy with the way the team had been scoring, both from field goals and penalty corners.

He felt the team had been improving with every game in Macau because they now had the confidence and belief that they deserved to be among the top teams in the world.

Wednesday night's game against the Dutch was a good example of the players not taking a backward step against higher-ranked opponents.

The European champions got away to a flying start, striking in the second minute with a deflected penalty corner variation from Minke Booij.

But goals from Colleen Gubb-Suddaby and Tara Drysdale had New Zealand in front, before the Dutch equalised eight minutes from the end through Fatima Moriera de Melo.

At the post-match press conference, Borren launched a scathing attack on the Dutch for unsporting tactics.

The Dutch had been "unsportsmanlike" and shown "cynical" behaviour, he said. They were lucky not to lose.

"To be honest, we are sick of the way the Dutch team plays. They are always complaining and are cynical about every decision that the umpires make.

"Someone needs to say something about the unsportsmanlike behaviour as something needs to be done."

- NZPA