Hockey: NZ struggling to remain in elite group

12.30pm

New Zealand have only a slim hope of avoiding their slide out of the elite women's hockey group in their remaining two World Cup matches in Perth.

They were to play tournament surprise side Ukraine this afternoon and China tomorrow needing maximum points in both games to stand a chance of retaining their top six ranking.

"The effort and willingness is there," coach Jan Borren said.

"But we certainly haven't been at our best."

Borren's two-year term as coach expires after the cup and he was reluctant to comment about his future just yet, despite being under fire from several quarters at home.

However, New Zealand Hockey chief executive Ramesh Patel defended Borren, saying suggestions that the coach was using outdated tactics were baseless.

Patel said the team reached the top six and remained there under Borren's guidance over the last three seasons.

To finish outside the top 12 in this 16-team World cup would be a disaster for New Zealand. They are currently sixth of eight teams in their pool after five games.

It will cut them off from key tournaments, including the Champions Trophy (for the top six) and even the Champions Challenge (for the next six).

Beyond that, even the 2004 Athens Olympics could quickly become a forlorn hope.

The run of disappointing results in Perth in the past week is quickly unravelling much of the good achieved at the 2000 Olympics and subsequent Champions Trophy.

Borren said he saw no easy fix to the problems which threatened New Zealand's status in world hockey.

He found it difficult to understand how a team ranked fifth in the world, and who commanded such support with their bold Olympic showing in finishing an unlucky sixth, could play so poorly over the last week. They lost to such teams as Germany, Scotland and South Korea in the cup.

At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in August, they finished fourth, narrowly missing a medal.

Borren said the present team did not have a key playmaker, but added they were letting themselves down by coming up short in the basics.

"I have to ask myself why the basic skills are not good enough," Borren said.

"When those fall away, so does the confidence and conviction. The only way to get it back is to go out and turn around these bad results."

In the first half of their match against Scotland, the Black Sticks gave the ball away 33 times.

Too many players have been playing below their best, he said.

New Zealand have scored only five goals in five games, including three against Russia, while giving up 10.

Jaimee Provan has been enterprising on attack, but has lacked support. There has been little midfield domination and the defence has been hesitant.

Sandy Bennett played her 150th international in the 3-0 loss to Korea last Friday. There are strong suggestions she, and others, might put their sticks away after the cup.

"We are certainly capable of much better," Borren said.

"Our biggest problem could be in finding the willingness to lift for these games. That has to be the priority."

- NZPA