November 11, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 24, 1422

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ROTTERDAM, Nov 10: Pakistan beat England 6-3 in the final game of the round robin series of the Champions Trophy here on Saturday to earn a bronze medal play-off against the Netherlands, largely thanks to a Kashif Jawwad hat trick.

Pakistan also scored three goals in the last ten minutes to earn their second victory of the event. It also gave them third place and a chance on Sunday to beat fourth-placed Netherlands in the bronze medal match.

Sohail Abbas put Pakistan ahead from their first corner in the 7th minute with a low flick but England, who had to win to make the bronze medal match in place of Pakistan, recovered to go ahead with goals by Mark Pearn and Jon Wyatt (penalty corner).

Despite England having the better of the first half, Pakistan levelled to 2-2 in the last minute of the half when Abbas threw a long high ball which England failed to control allowing Jawwad to nip in and score.

Abbas rubbed it in by converting Pakistan’s second corner two minutes into the second half, his seven goals making him the tournament’s second highest scorer, one behind Germany’s Kunz.

A smartly taken goal by England captain Danny Hall made it 3-3 after 53 minutes and England pressed hard for a fourth goal but failed to convert from a string of corners.

With England pressing, Pakistan were at last able to counter-attack and they added open play goals with good finishing by Jawwad, Muhammad Nadeem and, in the 69th minute, Jawwad again.

GERMANY WIN: Germany made it five wins out of five in the round robin section of the tournament with a 3-2 victory over their great European rivals the Netherlands.

Bjorn Michel took advantage of a still-sleeping Dutch defence to put Germany ahead inside two minutes after he had received a pass in left circle.

Michel’s failed to control the shot but it trickled under the Dutch goalkeeper Guus Vogels to give the German his first goal of the tournament and the only goal of a German-dominated first half.

After the break Germany re-opened their account quickly, with a goal coming after three minutes from Sacha Reinelt who managed to score from a near impossible angle after their second penalty corner had broken down.

The hosts were revived by Taeka Taekama who scored with a low flick from the next corner of the match in the 46th minute - only the third Dutch corner goal of the event.

Taekama was given a temporary suspension soon after and it was while Netherlands were reduced to 10 men that Germany forced two more corners.

From the second Florian Kunz, the tournament’s top scorer, scored at the second attempt for his 8th goal. Two minutes from time the Dutch picked up a second corner goal, Karel Klaver firing home the rebound after a Taekama shot.

AUSTRALIA TRIUMPH: Australia joined Germany in the final after a 5-3 victory over South Korea in their last round robin match.

Four of Australia’s goals came from corners, two being scored by Troy Elder who took his tournament tally to four.

Craig Victory gave Australia the lead on 20 minutes from his side’s second corner when he was left unmarked to tap home at the right post.

In what was an evenly-matched first half, the only real chance in open play fell to Jung-Chul Kim who shot wide.

Korea forced more corners in the half and, just when it seemed certain Australia would go into the break with a goal lead, Korea gained their fourth corner.

With just 20 seconds remaining Woon-kon Yeo took a return pass and flicked home.

But after the break Australia wasted no time regaining the upper hand. Two poor traps in the Korean circle cost them two goals in the first four minutes of the second half.

Adam Commens, the Australian left midfielder, scored after just 30 seconds of the half and Elder found the top corner of the Korean goal from a 39th-minute corner.

In a last-ditch attempt to save the match Korea immediately changed their goalkeeper but Elder made it two goals from successive corners in the 51st minute, flicking lower and to the other side.

Korea pulled back a goal four minutes later to make it 4-2 with a smart reverse stick shot by Keon-wook Kang but Australia’s lead remained safe and was made secure when Scott Webster scored at the right post from their seventh and last corner in the 67th minute.

A late goal by Jung-seon Lee made no difference to the outcome.

Sunday’s final should prove a close-run affair as both Australia and Germany attempt to win the trophy for the eighth time.

Saturday’s results:

Pakistan 6 England 3

Australia 5 South Korea 3

Germany 3 Netherlands 2.—AFP