OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kuala Lumpur | Thursday 7.30pm.
THE South African women’s hockey team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of New Zealand at the Pantai Stadium on Thursday night. South Africa needed to score a draw, if not a win, in this crucial match to advance to the semifinals against Australia. Instead they conceded 4-1 to the spirited Kiwis after a 1-1 stalemate at halftime.
“They put a lot of pressure on us,” SA captain Karen Roberts said afterwards. “They actually took us by surprise. We couldn’t finish off and they did. it’s a real disappointment for us to get so close to the medals and go out like this.”
After a smart start by Susan Wessels with a short corner past NZ goalkeeper Helen Clarke in the 21st minute, the South Africans lost steam. New Zealand sensed the weakness and goalkeeper Nicky du Toit found herself a desperate, last-gasp backstop as the Kiwi strikers cut through the SA defence and came at her repeatedly.
New Zealand broke ahead in the 29th minute when Mandy Smith dribbled past Anli Kotze and Sharon Cormack and attacked from the left, pitching the ball over a low-tackling Du Toit to equalise. Karen Roberts and her young team, their backs already against the wall, conceded again when their defence was caught off guard and Skippy McGregor collected on the edge of the circle to put New Zealand 2-1 up.
The cracks were growing wider in a ragged SA defence and the inevitable breakthrough came for New Zealand when Tina Belle-Lake cracked home to go 3-1 up. Du Toit was called on to save again when New Zealand’s Lisa Walton broke clear. Walton pounced again in the 56th minute when she volleyed a rebound from a Du Toit save.