Hockey: Dillon lifts Black Sticks to 2-1 win over Italy

New Zealand will have to learn to be more clinical in their approach and execution if they want to reach the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup final, defender Sheree Phillips says.

The Black Sticks beat Italy 2-1 last night (NZ time), maintaining their unbeaten run in the week-long hockey tournament in Delhi, India, after holding Australia scoreless in their opening game on Sunday.

However, they are expecting a far tougher match tomorrow (Wednesday) when they meet the well-supported home side, India.

"We definitely have to pick up our game and improve in a number of areas -- finishing better, holding on to possession better and just lifting our game generally," Phillips told NZPA last night.

Veteran Suzie Muirhead scored from a penalty corner midway through the first half to give New Zealand the lead, but Italy's Francesca Faustini equalised by converting a penalty stroke in the 32nd minute.

The stroke was awarded when Italian striker Giorgia Cuccu was obstructed inside the striking zone.

Black Sticks' striker Honor Dillon finally broke the 1-1 deadlock, just five minutes from the end, when she slammed the ball in after a pass from Proven Jaimee.

The Italians hustled and harried the Black Sticks more than the New Zealanders had expected, but it was their own loose defensive game that invited such pressure.

"Although we won, we were not quite happy with the way we played," Manawatu defender Phillips said.

"We had a lot of ball but we did not convert our opportunities. We were a bit slow to move onto the ball. And then we gave away too many turnovers, (and) could not hold on to possession because we were not aggressive enough.

"We sort of attacked but kept getting into congestion. They defended most of the game."

New Zealand's ability to build up their game but failure to finish was reflected by the match statistics.

"We probably had 10 or so (penalty corners), but we could not take the opportunities," Phillips said.

"They sort of attacked a little bit more than we had hoped they would. We were probably a bit loose in our marking, which allowed them to attack a more than they should have. We tended to over-dribble as opposed to passing and playing as a team."

Result: New Zealand 2 (Suzie Muirhead, Honor Dillon), Italy 1.

- NZPA