Hockey: Black Sticks level series with Belgium

The Black Sticks men have beaten Belgium 3-1 in the second of a series of Olympic warm-up matches in Brussels, Belgium this morning. (thurs, NZT)

After a travel weary team went down 2-1 in the opening game, the Black Sticks returned to the level expected from the seventh-ranked side to comfortably beat the Belgians - ranked 11th in the world.

Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod said the team made a much better start today.

"We were a lot more patience and balanced, and in the second half we were controlling possession and running all over the Belgians."

The home side opened the scoring from a penalty corner in the fifth minute and the Kiwis took until the 31st minute to reply with a Andy Hayward drag flick.

The Black Sticks dominated the second spell, and goals to Richard Petherick from a penalty corner and to Simon Child with a field goal put the result beyond doubt.

Reserve goalkeeper Hamish McGregor played the first half of the match and made a couple of fine saves.

The Black Sticks now head to the Netherlands for two unofficial tests against the Dutch in Utrecht on July 13 and 15.

Result: New Zealand 3 (Andy Hayward, Richard Petherick, Simon Child) Belgium 1 HT:1-1.