Lessons for N.Z. in hockey

Press, 25 August 1986, Page 23

Lessons for N.Z. in hockey

NZPA staff correspondent Amsterdam The New Zealand women’s hockey captain, Mary Clinton, says her team has got to learn to be far quicker in using the ball. Clinton, a defender, aged 26, of Canterbury, made the comment as she recovered from chasing skilled Dutch attackers round Amsterdam’s World Cup stadium.

New Zealand lost its semifinal, 1-3, to The Netherlands, and was to play off against Canada for the bronze medal.

Standing on the Amsterdam artificial turf moments after the semi-final receiving praise from the Dutch spectators for New Zealand’s efforts in the tournament, the sweeper, Clinton, and the coach, Mr Wayne Boyd, paid tribute to the skills of their opponents. Mr Boyd, of Hamilton, said: “We need these sort of games. “It is one thing to watch a videotape. It’s quite another to be standing alongside a girl and find that she can receive the ball coming across her back and be on your inside and three or four yards away even though you thought you had her.

“The receiving skills of the right wings of the European teams — Germany and Holland — are superb. They’ve

caused us problems down our left side.”

Clinton was delighted at reaching the top four. The Dutch simply outclassed ' New Zealand in the semi-final, turning on some sublime stick-work and showing the Kiwis expert control of the ball.

The Olympic champions fielded a pacy, tall unit which outreached and sped past the New Zealanders with the ball fixed to their sticks as the nervous visitors took time to settle and failed to keep possession. New Zealand lost the game in the first 40 minutes, conceding a 2-0 lead at halftime and being behind 3-0 three minutes into the second spell.

But it rallied, with a goal by Clinton from a penalty comer in the sixth minute of the second half signalling a Kiwi revival.

The game careered from end to end from then, with both sides going close to scoring. New Zealand twice hit the post in the final moments and The Netherlands found the net on two occasions but had the goals disallowed.

Scorers.— Netherlands, Lisanne Lejeune (10 min), Sophie Von Weiler (16 min), Martine Ohr; New Zealand, Mary Clinton (41 min).