Hockey: Memorable double for Auckland

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Deserved - but vastly different - wins in the men's and women's national league finals have catapulted Auckland back to the top of New Zealand hockey.

While their women were rarely out of cruise mode in beating arch-rivals Canterbury 4-1 on Saturday in a replay of last year's final, the men had to work into extra time to head defending champions North Harbour 5-4 at Rosedale Park yesterday.

Ahead after just four minutes when Wayne Hawkins scored, Auckland took control and dominated the opening exchanges of the Lion Foundation-sponsored men's final.

Against the run of play, the home side got back to 1-1 from their first penalty corner of the match when Sunil Unka smashed home.

Four minutes before the break, and with the Harbour defence stretched, the visitors regained the lead when an unmarked Mark Ramage fired home a reverse stick shot from the top of the circle.

The home side struck back three minutes into the second spell when Andrew Kay scored.

Two goals in three minutes - in the 57th and 60th from Ramage, who turned Sandeep Patel before firing home, and Kieran Daji, from a quickly taken and well-worked free hit - should have sealed it for Auckland.

But North Harbour, defending a season-long unbeaten record, dug deep and struck back with goals from Shane Maddaford and a spectacular Kay effort to level at 4-4 with two minutes remaining.

That second goal ensured that Kay would finish the season as the top goalscorer with eight - one more than team-mate David Kosoof.

Two minutes into extra time, and with both teams having to drop two players, Unka, under no pressure, gave the ball away. Auckland broke quickly and forced a penalty corner - it could have easily been a penalty stroke - which Dharmesh Puna, with the aid of a deflection, fired home.

"We had worked on how we would play extra time if it came to that," said Auckland coach Keith Rowley, who paid tribute to the part played throughout the season by his assistant, Anthony Thornton.

Thornton missed the final because he was on New Zealand duty at the junior World Cup in Hobart.

"Overall, it was a great game of hockey and a tremendous advertisement for our sport," Rowley said.

"We came here expecting a hard game, but were disappointed when we let them back with those two late goals."

Auckland captain Dion Gosling was deservedly named man of the match. His influence made the difference between two evenly-matched sides.

North Harbour coach Bill Webb, who hinted he might call it quits after two good seasons, said his team were up against it.

"It is always hard when you are playing catch-up," Webb said. "Still, I'm happy with what we achieved.

"At the start of the season I had no real idea how we would go."

In the women's final, Auckland led 3-0 at halftime, with goals from Lisa Walton, Anna Lawrence and Karen Sydall.

Kim Noakes stretched that to 4-0 before Canterbury came back with a super goal from Helene Isaac.

In the crucial relegation battles, Northland downed Midland Express 3-2 to leave the Waikato/Counties combination facing a play-off with Otago for a place in next year's league.

The North Harbour women retained their league spot with a convincing 5-0 win over Otago, which means the southerners have to play Waikato in the promotion-relegation clash.