Black Sticks give coach plenty to ponder

The New Zealand women’s hockey team completed a disappointing Champions Trophy on a losing note in London, beaten 4-3 by Great Britain to finish last.

After an earlier 1-0 win against the hosts, the world No 4 Black Sticks were unable to repeat the dose yesterday as Alex Danson scored the winner and sealed her hat-trick eight minutes from fulltime.

The British striker’s third goal, which came after New Zealand had fought back from 3-1 down early in the second half to level at 3-3 at the start of the final quarter, resigned the Black Sticks to their fourth defeat in six matches at the prestigious six-team tournament.

Head coach Mark Hager said his side wasn’t consistent enough through the tournament and conceded too many goals.

‘‘Great Britain wanted it today and we didn’t do well enough at stopping them.

‘‘Playing at home against Great Britain is always tough, and in the first half their energy was better than ours. We fought back in the second half and played some of our best hockey at the tournament, but couldn’t score goals needed.

‘‘Moving forward we know we need to be better for Rio and learn from some key lessons

The team’s overall performance not only left Hager with plenty to ponder as he prepares to name his squad for the Rio Olympics next week, it was also somewhat unexpected in the wake of the team’s strong form over the last six months.

But, after losses to Argentina, Australia, world No 1 the Netherlands and a draw with the seventhranked United States, the Black Sticks did not enter the playoff for fifth against the hosts with momentum on their side.

Danson opened the scoring in the 10th minute, before Kiwi midfielder Anita Mclaren drove the ball between British goalkeeper Maddie Hinch’s legs to lock the match back up midway through the second quarter.

Four minutes late, though, Lily Owsley scored with a reverse stick strike to give the hosts a 2-1 halftime lead and shortly after the resumption of play Danson knocked in her second from a penalty corner for a two-goal buffer.

The Black Sticks responded with a set-piece goal of their own to Olivia Merry to reduce the margin at three-quarter time and when Kelsey Smith deflected in from a penalty corner two minutes into the final stanza a come-frombehind win beckoned.

But it was the British who held their nerve the better over the closing 10 minutes, Danson producing a fine individual goal to restore the lead and her side hanging on for victory as New Zealand’s Stacey Michelsen hit the post from a penalty corner in the dying stages. the we

New Zealand 3

from this tournament.’’