Hockey: Goal drought frustrates Black Sticks trainer

No one could blame Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod if he hung a "have stick, can score goals, apply here" sign on his hotel door.

While defensively the national men's team has done well enough at this World Cup, the problems at the other end of the turf have been glaringly obvious.

In their first four pool matches, before the clash with world champions Germany earlier this morning, the Black Sticks, in 280 minutes of hockey had scored just six goals with three of those from either penalty corners or a penalty stroke.

McLeod pointed out that he was down on firepower, without inspirational captain Phil Burrows, injured in a freak accident in the loss to the Netherlands and likely to miss the rest of the tournament, and regular goal-grabber Simon Child, who opted to stay away.

But as McLeod also pointed out, that had opened the door for other strikers to show him they were worthy of selection in the big matches still to play here and at the Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games later in the year.

There have been some good scoring opportunities but the attackers have failed to nail them.

"The two clear-cut chances we had against Korea should have been scored," said McLeod.

"Had we taken them, it could have been a different story. Against Argentina, we were again lacking firepower and it was the same story. We created chances but could not take them and missed a stroke as well."

After four, of five, rounds in pool play, only Argentina (with five) and Canada (4) had scored fewer goals than New Zealand.

In the other pool Pakistan had the worst scoring record but had still scored eight - well down on the 21 hammered home by the Australians.

Ryan Archibald, Burrows and Priyesh Bhana have scored from open play for New Zealand. The other three have come from an Andy Hayward penalty corner strike, a second phase effort from Nick Haig and a stroke from Dean Couzins.

At the back the Black Sticks have been well-served.

Kyle Pontifex in goal has been as good as any keeper on display. In front of him Couzins, who has taken over the captaincy in Burrows' absence, and Blair Hopping have stood out.

New Zealand have conceded just seven goals. Only the Netherlands (with three) had conceded fewer while in group B only Australia (with five) have fared better defensively.

England, who won four-from-four to lead that group and emerged as the first team to go into the semifinals, had conceded 10 but had at least scored 17.

With sides better equipped to defend penalty corners - the ratio of such conversions to field goals is falling - the emphasis is returning to scoring from open play.

New Zealand must jump quickly back on to that bandwagon or find themselves being left behind and undoing much of the good work they have done in recent times.