HOCKEY: A clinical final 30 minutes saw the Kookaburras overcome a tight opening half to run out 5-0 winners over Pakistan in their final match at the Hobart International Challenge.
With both sides cancelling out one another for much of the first half it took a back post deflection from Eddie Ockenden seconds before the half time hooter to separate the sides.
But it was a re-energised Australian team that emerged for the second half as strikes by Chris Ciriello and Glenn Simpson gave the Kookaburras breathing space before Trent Mitton and Flynn Ogilvie gave the scoreboard a more realistic complexion late on.
Kookaburras Assistant Coach Nathan Eglington, standing in for Head Coach Graham Reid, said afterwards, “It was certainly a slow start. Pakistan are a great team. We knew they were going to come out hard and to the guys’ credit when we weren’t playing that well we were able to find something after half time and get ourselves into a position to actually take the game away from Pakistan. It was good clinical finishing really.
“We were presented with a pretty unique challenge – an end of a series which wasn’t actually a final, no medal up for grabs. But being able to maintain a level and a standard that we’ve held ourselves to for two weeks was enough motivation.”
It took until the 25th minute for Australia to threaten, a penalty corner that Chris Ciriello flicked over the top. But it proved to be the catalyst for a five minute spell in which the Kookaburras pressed with urgency, gaining reward with seconds of the first half remaining as Ciriello redirected Flynn Ogilvie’s cross into the path of Ockenden. The 28 year-old positioned himself low to deflect the ball home and send the Kookaburras in ahead at the break.
The world champions dealt well with Pakistani pressure in the opening five minutes of the second half before Ciriello went from provider to scorer as he flicked a powerful penalty corner that rippled the net for 2-0.
And just 60 seconds later it was three as fellow Victorian Glenn Simpson finished a flowing Australian move.
By now the Kookaburras were in control. Trent Mitton showed no ill effects soon after taking a sore one to the leg as he got on the end of Simon Orchard’s well timed through ball, dinking it beyond Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt for 4-0.
Two minutes from full time, Tim Deavin’s pass up the left line was swept into the circle by Dylan Wotherspoon to Flynn Ogilvie. The New South Wales youngster turned inside before unleashing a perfectly executed tomahawk shot into the bottom corner from the top of the circle for 5-0.
Things threatened to boil over as full time approached with Shafqat Rasool and Glenn Simpson both shown green cards for separate offences either side of a yellow for Deavin, whose robust challenge on Muhammad Umar Butta resulted in the Pakistani leaving the field with assistance.
Speaking afterwards about the week, Nathan Eglington added, “It’s been great. We exposed up to 40 players initially and then some players went home, the senior squad stayed behind. It’s invaluable to get that many test matches leading into our major event of the year, which is the World League Semi Final in June.
“We’ve certainly made ground since Azlan Shah [in April], some really big steps. The guys identified some areas for improvement and they’ve held themselves to account, individually and collectively, which has been pleasing.”
Looking ahead to the forthcoming selection of the squad for the World League Semi Final, he added, “It’s tough. You want guys to put their hand up every game and this series has presented the selection group with some very difficult decisions, which have to be made now.
“That’s always the position you want to be in. You never want to just roll in and pick a team. You want to have to go in there and really debate and to the guys’ credit everyone wants to play, everyone’s striving to improve. We could probably pick 30 players and they’d all do a really good job but unfortunately only 18 can go and that’s going to be a difficult decision.”
Australian selectors will make their decision over the coming week with an announcement expected the following week.
The World League Semi Final takes place in Antwerp from 20 June until 5 July. Australia’s men need to finish in the top three of the ten team tournament to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Earlier on Sunday, Korea picked up their first victory of the week as they saw off New Zealand’s Black Sticks men with a 3-1 win courtesy of a goal from Kim Juhun and two from Jang Jonghyun. Jacob Smith scored a late consolation goal for the Kiwis.
The Hobart International Challenge is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Communities, Sport and Recreation Tasmania.
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Kookaburras squad v Pakistan
Name (Hometown/State) Caps/Goals
Started
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD) 55/10
Kiel Brown (Toowoomba, QLD) 159/6
Andrew Charter (GK) (Canberra, ACT) 89/0
Matthew Dawson (Central Coast, NSW) 20/1
Tim Deavin (Launceston, TAS) 106/5
Matt Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 122/37
Mark Knowles (C) (Rockhampton, QLD) 256/22
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 243/61
Simon Orchard (Maitland, NSW) 169/50
Glenn Simpson (Melbourne, VIC) 127/23
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW^) 14/3
Used Substitutes
Nick Budgeon (Hobart, TAS) 38/12
Christopher Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 161/103
Leon Hayward (GK) (Darwin, NT) 8/0
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA) 72/23
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW) 13/4
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 54/3
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA) 57/4
^Dylan Wotherspoon is an athlete at the Queensland Academy of Sport and is classified as a QLD athlete but grew up in Mulwillumbah, NSW.
Match Results - Sunday 10 May
New Zealand 1-3 Korea
Australia 5-0 Pakistan
HOCKEY AUSTRALIA
