Hockey: Series lost, but much gained

SYDNEY - World No 3 Australia retained the Manning Cup by beating New Zealand 4-3 in an exciting end to the three-test men's hockey series in Melbourne yesterday.

The game came alive with the five goals in the second half but Australia always had their noses in front and won the series 2-0 after claiming the first test 3-1 on Thursday and drawing the second 1-1 on Saturday.

Seventeenth-ranked New Zealand have not won the Manning Cup since 1967 but had their chances in this series, with both teams fielding relatively new-look lineups.

New Zealand coach Kevin Towns admitted his team deserved to lose the first test but had squandered several chances in the second two matches which, if taken, could have reversed the result.

"In this series we had a couple of players overseas but they had four out so we had a chance to upset them," Towns said. "We were pretty competitive."



Towns didn't want to single out good performers from the series. He said his young players had all come through a tough initiation well.

"We're going through re-development at the moment. A lot of single-cappers came over here and still are in single caps but are better players for the experience."

As they have done in every match, the home side hit the front early. The Kiwis could do little to stop a lovely flick from Paul Gaudoin from an 11th-minute penalty corner.

New Zealand replied just three minutes later through a powerful penalty corner strike from Brett Leaver, giving him his second goal of the series.

The visitors had their best period for the remainder of the first spell but couldn't break through, leaving the score tied at halftime.

Goals in quick succession to Jeremy Hiskins and Ben Taylor saw the Aussies open a decisive 3-1 lead.

A lovely penalty corner deflection from Phillip Burrows pulled a goal back but that was cancelled out with 10 minutes remaining by a near-identical deflection from Australia's Lachlan Vivian-Taylor.

An Umesh Parag deflection seven minutes from the end gave New Zealand a hope but they didn't create any clear chances before the final whistle.

New Zealand now face India in a home series next month as their buildup for next year's Commonwealth Games continues.

- NZPA