Black Sticks strike back for Olympic field

CO-CAPTAIN Kayla Sharland believes the women’s Black Sticks are righting the ship four months out from the 2012 Olympic Games.

After a prolonged form slump – highlighted by a disappointing sixth at this year’s Champions Trophy compared with bronze in 2011 – the Black Sticks revived Olympic medal hopes with a gritty 1-1 draw against Argentina in Auckland on Wednesday.

On chances and possession, New Zealand should comfortably have won the game and levelled the four-test series against the world’s secondranked side.

While the killer instinct inside the attacking circle is still some way short of Olympic medal standard, on-field leader Sharland is confident Wednesday’s aggressive display against the Champions Trophy holders proves the Black Sticks are edging their way back among the world’s elite.

Tonight’s third test against Argentina will put Sharland’s appraisal to the test.

A win would tee up a winner-takesall clash tomorrow against a side genuinely hunting Olympic gold.

‘‘Based on the previous game and even the entire Champions Trophy campaign, Wednesday was a big step forward,’’ Sharland said.

‘‘We’re a lot happier with that performance,’’ she said.

‘‘We created a lot of opportunities, and performances like that against Argentina are great for confidence. ‘‘We just still aren’t clinical enough. ‘‘I knew the goal would come at some point, I just wish it had arrived earlier, not two minutes from fulltime.

‘‘It would have allowed us to get on a roll.

‘‘We definitely had them under the pump and turned over a lot of ball from their out-letting, that’s really encouraging against a side of that quality.

‘‘We changed the game plan tactically, and it obviously worked for us.’’

Defeat tonight would condemn the Black Sticks to losing the series ahead of tomorrow’s Albany test.