Hockey: Spoils to Central and Harbour

By TERRY MADDAFORD

North Harbour, led by David Kosoof's amazing four-goal haul, stormed to their second national title in four years by downing Canterbury 5-1 at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Auckland yesterday.

The women's final was also won by a non-major association, with Central heading defending champions Wellington 3-1, Kayla Sharland paving the way with a goal in each half.

Central, as Manawatu, last won in 1992 at the then national tournament.

Kosoof was on fire and ended the Lion Foundation NHL as the top scorer with 19 goals.

His season-long rival, Dutch star Taeke Taekema, went into the final one ahead of Kosoof but failed to score from a penalty stroke and four penalty corner attempts.

In two matches against North Harbour, Taekema failed to score.

In contrast to the round-robin clash seven days earlier, yesterday's match was tighter.

Canterbury made the early play but fell behind in the 15th minute when Kosoof scored from the only penalty corner his team won.

Two minutes later it was tied up when Taekema dragged the ball in from open play and, at his second attempt, Jason Bradley scored.

North Harbour went 2-1 ahead 11 minutes into the second spell when Lloyd Stephenson gathered and fed Kosoof, who flicked home from close range.

That lead would have disappeared five minutes later had Taekema been successful with a stroke, but as he did twice in Saturday's nailbiting penalty-stroke semifinal shootout with Auckland, Harbour's Argentine goalkeeper, Julian Dapena - playing as a guest when he could not win a place in the Auckland squad - saved.


Kosoof scored a brilliant individual goal and a minute later stretched the lead to 4-1 with a stroke after Stephenson had his stick chopped.

The scoring was completed right on time when Shane Maddaford gathered and fed Ben Collier, who worked his way along the baseline before pushing home.

Kosoof and Dapena stood out but Andrew Newson, Collier and Stephenson were not far behind.

"I'm really, really happy," said delighted Harbour player-coach Darren Smith.

"We turned on the style in the first 20 minutes of the second half. It was a great effort by a team with many young players. Hopefully we will build on that."

Canterbury coach Andrew Maister said there was no comparison between the games played a week apart.

"We stuck to our game plan today and put pressure on their back four. If we had scored the stroke it would have been 2-2.

"Instead they went away and were quickly 4-1 in front.

"It was a good game of hockey but, again, they deserved to win."

It was not Auckland's weekend. After losing the semifinal 7-6 on strokes - twice coming from behind for 2-2 - they also lost yesterday's third place playoff 5-4 on strokes to Wellington.

The women's final, the first time in 17 years in which Canterbury have not made the last two, was also an open, free-flowing exhibition.

Central, with defender Emily Naylor outstanding, were in control for long periods, although they did not take the lead until four minutes into the second spell.

Sharland's two goals took her to the top of the goal-scoring list, joining team-mate Moira Senior with nine.

North Harbour's Connie Igasan, who failed to score in their 3-1 loss to Canterbury in the playoff for third was next, on eight.