Hockey: Black Sticks down but not out

New Zealand's Suzie Muirhead tackles Nikki Hudson of Australia at Sydney Olympic Park yesterday. Adam Pretty / Getty Images

Australia booked direct passage to next year's women's World Cup in Spain, despite a much-improved New Zealand effort in the Oceania qualifying series in Sydney yesterday.

Despite being outplayed for the majority of the deciding clash, Australia were clinical when given the chance, converting counter-attacks either side of halftime to take the match 2-0 - and the series 2-1 after dropping the first match in Auckland last Sunday.

New Zealand now face a qualifying tournament in Italy starting on Anzac Day and comprising 12 teams to join their transtasman nemesis in Madrid next September.

Six will qualify, with coach Ian Rutledge confident his world No 6 ranked side will make the cut.

"Three years ago we were never getting close to Australia and now we nearly snatched the series off them," he said.

"I thought our performance was good enough to win [yesterday]. It was seven penalty corners to two and, unfortunately, we didn't capitalise when it mattered.

"In typical fashion, Australia scored off two counter-attacks. Sometimes they don't get many chances but they put the ball in the back of the net."

Australian coach Frank Walker said his side was lucky to preserve an unbeaten series record against New Zealand stretching back to 1978.

"Our decision making on attack was very poor. [Goalkeeper] Rachel Imison kept us in it," he said.

New Zealand put in a far more spirited effort than their languid performance in Thursday's 4-0 loss and conceded a goal against the run of play in the 28th minute when striker Nikki Hudson skipped through the defence and crossed for Suzie Faulkner to scramble the ball home.

Australia doubled the lead when Wendy Alcorn's hopeful 40th-minute drive thudded into the tin.

New Zealand felt they had got back into the game eight minutes later but South African umpire Marlize de Klerk ruled the goal out for stick checking.

Earlier, Moira Senior was denied by the woodwork and then Imison's body from close range before the striker again went perilously close to scoring when, unmarked, she narrowly missed connecting with a searing free hit from Lizzie Igasan.

New Zealand continued to press forward without reward in a contest that turned intensely physical in the latter stages with defender Emily Naylor receiving treatment for a head gash in the 55th minute.

- NZPA

Australia 2

New Zealand 0