- With best 15 minutes, green shirts open play opportunities, a couple of penalty corners and score off one of them
MELBOURNE: Pakistan lost their opening match of the International Festival of Hockey against host Australia by a big eight goals in a 9-1 defeat at the State Netball and Hockey Centre here in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Blake Govers scored a hat-trick, while Aaron Kleinschmidt hit a double in the comprehensive win over Pakistan, who scored one goal via Abu Bakar strike in the 32nd minute. The 1-9 defeat is Pakistan’s worst-ever in its hockey history. Pakistan’s previous worst came when Holland defeated Pakistan 9-2 at the 2006 Champions Trophy in Terrassa, Spain.
Australia, the reigning world champions, dominated the proceedings almost throughout the game. The Australia’s first goal came in the eighth minute, off their first penalty corner, when an excellent top of the circle drill baffled Pakistan’s defence and Hayward put his team ahead. Within four minutes, Whetton doubled the advantage.
After robbing a defender, he entered the circle from the left, immediately swerved and rattled the board. The first half’s last goal came off a wonderful Whetton assist. His inch perfect ball from the circle’s top beat a crowded defence and Kleinschmidt easily scored from the middle of the scoring area.
In the first 30 minutes, Pakistan had just one open play attempt, when Arslan Qadir’s full stretch effort eluded the target. They also wasted one penalty corner with the score at 3-0 at the end of the first half. Two minutes into the second half, Abu Bakar’s forceful flick went high into the net off Pakistan’s second penalty corner.
Within a minute, the Aussies restored the three goal lead: Kleinschmidt had his second of the evening with a superb first time reverse-hander from the left of circle’s edge which went into the roof of the far net. Govers made it 5-1 with a penalty corner conversion with a flat forceful push.
Though Australia had most of the exchanges in the third quarter of the game, it still was the green shirts’ best 15 minutes of the game. They had open play opportunities and a couple of penalty corners, and scored off one of them. Pakistan’s sloppy defending seemed to be theme of the day but in the last quarter, it completely melted away and conceded four more goals.
Govers completed the tally and also his hat-trick in the last minute when his hard low push went past goalkeeper Amjad’s left pad, off another penalty corner. In the four-nation event, Pakistan play Japan, which held a strong New Zealand side 1-1 in their last match, on Thursday (today).
SCORERS:
Australia: Blake Govers (3), Aaron Kleinschmidt (2), Jeremy Hayward, Jake Whetton, Kiran Arunasalam, Tom Wickham
Pakistan: Abubakar Mahmood
Have you seen a European side competing with either India and Pakistan when both these teams were at their best.
Train the bloody team well before we in Pakistan are humiliated and becomes.
laughing stock of others.
Gadhe australia is not in europe, and pakistan is playing hockey since 1970, australia, germany, belgium started only in 90s
what a shame pakistan.
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