Hockey: Malaysia inflict serious stick

New Zealand must quickly put things right if they are to level the test series with Malaysia after a disappointing 3-0 loss in yesterday's third international at Lloyd Elsmore Park.

With the first test drawn 3-3, the second test in Hamilton abandoned, the visitors return to the same ground for the fourth test this afternoon needing only a draw to clinch the series.

To have any chance of taking something from these matches, New Zealand must show they can be competitive against a team ranked below them. For long periods yesterday that was not the case.

While allowing that coach Kevin Towns is using the series to blood young players, he was disappointed yesterday after the failure of some of the more senior players to front up.

"The composure we showed in the first game [drawn 3-3] disappeared," said a disappointed Towns.

"Players looked out of sorts and out of position. You would have to go back a long way to find a game in which Dion Gosling made as many mistakes as he did out there.

"Only in the last 15 minutes - their goal apart - did we show that we could actually compete. It was a big lesson for the young players."

Despite the disappointment, Towns will stick with the team he named before the start of the series for today's game.

They are going to have to fight it out to get a tied series. That, and a lot more.

Too much possession given up, long balls failing to find their target, simple missed traps and an uncertainty in key areas made it difficult for the home side to be competitive.

New Zealand struggled to get into the attacking third whereas Malaysia got deep and fired a succession of well-hit balls into the circle.

The scoring was opened in the 19th minute when, from their first penalty corner, drag-flick expert Kuhan Shanmuganathan fired a shot which goalkeeper Paul Woolford did well to palm down. He then watched in horror as the ball hit Mohd Fairuz Ramlis' stick and rolled slowly into the goal.

There was no such uncertainty three minutes later when Shanmuganathan dragged home to make it 2-0.

The visitors had a third penalty-corner chance just before halftime when umpire Nigel Iggo, who appeared to struggle at times, ruled harshly against New Zealand. Shanmuganathan again flicked but Brad Shaw, with an expert stick save, managed to deny the visitors.

In-between times, New Zealand won their only penalty corner of the match which Shaw drag flicked but could not beat Roslan Jamauddin who palmed clear.

The second half did not produce any penalty corners and few clear-cut chances.

Woolford pulled off a good early save to deny impressive substitute Prabahkarun Perryathumby but generally there were few scoring opportunities.

New Zealand looked most likely in the last 15 minutes and twice had the ball in the Malaysian goal only to have them ruled out.

A minute into added time, the visitors grabbed their third when Mohd Rodzhanizam Mat Radzi got around Gosling and fired home from an acute angle.

With Shaw not in the starting line-up, there will be added pressure on the New Zealand defence today. The result of the series could well hinge on how well they cope with that.

Ben Collier, who made a good fist of his international debut, gets another chance today, as does 16-year-old Simon Child who, along with Tim Gyles, played at this level for the first time yesterday.

New Zealand: 0 Malaysia:3 (Mohd Fairuz Ramli, Kuhan Shanmuganathan, Mohd Rodzhanizam Mat Radzi). HT: 0-2.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY