WATER POLO: A blistering eight goal final quarter has seen Australia thrash China 17-7 in their fourth game of the FINA World League Asia / Oceania qualifying tournament in Auckland.
WATER POLO: A blistering eight goal final quarter has seen Australia thrash China 17-7 in their fourth game of the FINA World League Asia / Oceania qualifying tournament in Auckland.
The 10 goal victory was a massive shift from the first time the two teams played in this tournament when Australia eeked out a 15-13 penalty shootout win.
The Aussie Stingers led 6-3 at half time despite several missed opportunities in attack and China’s woeful extraman conversion rate but it was in the fourth term that Australia flexed its collective muscle.
Rising star Elle Armit finished the game with five goals for Australia whilst Lea Barta in goals and London Olympic quartet Nicola Zagame, Bronwen Knox, Rowie Webster and Ash Southern were the Stingers’ best.
Barta, playing in her first game of the tour said the Stingers let themselves down with some missed chances in the opening half but pulled things together after the main break.
"We had lots of opportunities in the first half that we didn't quite finish,” Barta said.
"We made some silly skill errors that led to a lot of counter defence too but in the second half we were able to convert our opportunities and remain much more controlled in attack."
Australia’s next outing is against Japan starting at 330pm AEST. Earlier in the tournament they had an easy victory 10-2.
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