Hockey: NZ back on the winning trail

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Coach Kevin Towns admitted to "feeling a bit better" after the New Zealand men's team beat hosts Malaysia 4-2 in their second game at the 12th Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Ioph yesterday.

It was a quick turnaround from their 6-1 thumping by Pakistan in the tournament opener.

"There is still work to do for sure," Towns said. "If we believe we are good enough to be ranked among the top six in the world, then we can't afford to let the foot off the way we did in this game.

"Having said that, beating Malaysia in their country is never easy. They cope with the temperatures far better than we do, and they have a huge home support."

New Zealand had some support, however. Although debutante Casey Henwood's father was the only supporter on the trip, 100 children from a local school have been assigned as their "cheer squad."

"They turn up for every game with T-shirts with New Zealand on them and they chant for us right through the games," Towns said.

Yesterday the team returned the favour by working with 200 children as part of a promotion for clothing company Canterbury.

New Zealand were always in control against Malaysia, but lost their way a little in the second spell.

They were in front after seven minutes when Hayden Shaw continued his remarkable run in scoring from penalty corners, and increased their lead in the 16th minute thanks to Mitesh Patel.

"We forced Malaysia into making mistakes by placing a three-quarter press on the opposition," Towns said. "That was something we haven't been able to do in the past here because of the conditions."

From a rare attack the home side forced their first penalty corner, which Muhamad Amin Rahim converted.

New Zealand re-established their two-goal advantage from a penalty corner variation, to which Phil Burrows provided the final touch.

As the teams flagged, there were turnovers both ways, eventually leading to a second Malaysian goal scored by Mohd Riduan Mohd Nasir after a free hit.

A minute from time Umesh Parag netted New Zealand's fourth to keep their hopes of a playoff place alive.

New Zealand's starting line-up was Paul Woolford, Shaw, Dion Gosling, Wayne McIndoe, Simon Towns, Blair Hopping, Parag, Patel, Burrows, Darren Smith and Bevin Hari.

Gosling had recovered from his smack on the mouth to take his place, but he (knee injury) and McIndoe (blisters) are in doubt for tonight's match against South Korea.

In the other second-round game, world champions Germany beat the second-ranked Koreans 2-0. The powerful Germans settled the encounter with two well-taken penalty corners in the second half.