Hockey: Series loss threatens Athens bid

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Coach Kevin Towns will hand report cards to the New Zealand men's team this morning carrying a simple "lacks concentration, can do better" message.

Beaten 4-1 in Wellington yesterday to hand Australia a 3-0 clean sweep in the Oceania Cup/Olympic qualifiers, the New Zealanders must now head to Madrid in March in a last-ditch attempt to win a place at the Athens Olympics.

Towns took some comfort from the seven goals his team scored in the series, but was not happy in conceding 12, including a couple of pretty soft efforts.

"Overall, I wasn't happy with today's effort," Towns said after yesterday's second game in as many days. "It was unacceptable at this level from the warm-up to the end of the match."

Towns said the players were disappointed that after gaining an early lead in both games, they were unable to capitalise.

"The mental application wasn't there. Sure, having Ryan Archibald and Mitesh Patel hindered by hamstring injuries did not help, but I'll be looking for some answers at the debrief.

"We put pressure on them, but in today's game it was half concentration, half focus, half trapping and half running. With the series gone, this game was important for the future.

"While we conceded soft goals in every test, the Australians gave us nothing in the last two."

Ahead inside two minutes in Saturday's second test when Bevan Hari scored, New Zealand led three times during the match but could not finish the job.

They were unlucky when, in front 3-2, the umpire missed an Australian foot when New Zealand were hard on attack.

The visitors broke, equalised, then on the hour won it when Craig Victory followed up Troy Elder's hat-trick with a goal from open play.

Phil Burrows gave New Zealand the lead yesterday when he scored after six minutes.

Victory equalised 13 minutes later, with captain Paul Gaudoin, in his 228th international, ensuring the Australians led 2-1 at the break when he scored from a penalty corner.

Elder, with a drag flick from another corner, stretched that lead before Nathan Eglington completed the scoring in the 61st minute of the game.

Towns singled out North Harbour left half Blair Hopping as his player of the series.

David Kosoof celebrated his 50th international with a solid game yesterday while Burrows, too, had his moments.

"The strikers did well," Towns said.

"Ryan Archibald's injury was unfortunate as we weren't able to rest him as we have liked."

The inability to convert any of 10 penalty corners in the last two tests had not helped.

Towns said that after this morning's debrief, the focus would switch to the national league which starts on Saturday.

"I will be surprised if Patel and Archibald are ready to play.

"But for all players, the league is important.

"We will name an enlarged squad of 35 after the league and start preparing for the home series against Britain, and then focus Madrid.

"There is still plenty to play for."