Hockey: Malaysia rally to save series

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Two goals from penalty corners - one when New Zealand were down to 10 players - earned the visiting Malaysian men's hockey team their series-saving 3-2 win in the fourth test at Rosedale Park yesterday.

The Kevin Towns-coached home side battled back from 0-1 to take a deserved 2-1 lead four minutes into the second half. They continued to dominate for the next 15 minutes, but could not turn pressure and possession into goals and the visitors struck back to score from two of the three penalty corners they won in the second spell.

Towns, despondent after the 1-2 third test loss on Saturday, was a little happier yesterday - despite the result and the 2-2 series scoreline - but lamented his team's failure to convert their opportunities.

"In international sport it is all about taking chances," said Towns. "It is no use complaining about the umpires or anything else if you don't take them.

"We were lucky to be only 0-1 at halftime but we came out strongly in the second and were doing well until Hymie Gill was sent off. We lost our way. It was very disappointing to get the lead, then lose that way."

The Malaysians lifted their game several notches from what they had shown in the series opener on the same ground last Wednesday.

Nor Azlan Haji Bakar gave them width on the left which at times stretched New Zealand's defensive forces, and the first goal came after 25 minutes when New Zealand captain Brett Leaver lost the ball on halfway.

The visitors broke quickly, drew goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex and Aslan Misron was on hand to play the ball across the face of the goal to Boon Huat Chua who scored.

The home side got back to 1-1 in the 32nd minute when Umesh Parag won possession with a deft tackle, broke towards the goal but was impeded from behind and the stroke awarded. Gill swept home from the spot.

New Zealand went ahead when the ever-mobile Blair Hopping played the ball in and David Kosoof raced to meet it and touch a looping shot over the goalkeeper.

Goals from penalty corners in 54th and 59th minutes from Suhaimi Ibrahim and Chua ensured Malaysia's victory.

Lloyd Stephenson, Alpesh Puna and Dean Cousins have been added to the original 13-man New Zealand squad to play three tests in Australia next month. Squad: Paul Woolford, Michael Bevin, Brett Leaver, Puna, Cousins, Hymie Gill, Simon Towns, Blair Hopping, Wayne McIndoe, Ryan Archibald, Bevan Hari, Mitesh Patel, Umesh Parag, David Kosoof, Phillip Burrows, Stephenson.

* There is a hint of "horse trading" in the New Zealand Hockey Federation's decision not to pursue their appeal to sport's International Court of Arbitration over their exclusion from this year's World Cup qualifying tournament.

Federation chief executive Ramesh Patel and lawyer David Howman were to fly to Lusanne for the May 1 hearing but have decided not to challenge the International Hockey Federation's decision to allow Bangladesh, not New Zealand, to play in the World Cup preliminary.

After discussions with the old international executive committee and then the new executive and president, it seems that New Zealand could benefit by taking a step back.

The New Zealand federation had made it known they were keen to host the men's qualifying tournament for the 2004 Olympics. It seems New Zealand's chances have been enhanced by their decision to stay away from the courts.

New Zealand's participation at next year's Commonwealth Games could also be a step closer. also ...

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Lloyd Stephenson, Alpesh Puna and Dean Cousins have been added to the original 133-man New Zealand squad to play three tests in Australia next month.

Squad: Paul Woolford, Michael Bevin, Brett Leaver, Puna, Cousins, Hymie Gill, Simon Towns, Blair Hopping, Wayne McIndoe, Ryan Archibald, Bevan Hari, Mitesh Patel, Umesh Parag, David Kosoof, Phillip Burrows, Ste