KARACHI, March 4: Pakistan juniors avenged Wednesday's loss with a 5-3 victory over The Netherlands juniors in the second hockey match on Thursday to level the four-match series 1-1.
After losing 2-1 to the Dutch Under-21 side in the first game of the four-match series, Pakistan were the better outfit on a sweltering Thursday afternoon at Hockey Club of Pakistan.
While the visitors overcame the hot weather during the first encounter, they seemed to be exhausted on Thursday, especially in the second session because of blistering heat.
"The heat was too much. Our player Robert Horst is nursing a groin injury and hardly played for 20 minutes. Few players had stomach problem. "But we saw today what I was expecting. Pakistan came back fighting after the defeat on Wednesday. They were mentally and physically aggressive.
"Our side was reactive, while Pakistanis were proactive. That was the main difference. They knew what they should do," Dutch coach Eric Verboom said after the game. The two sides meet again on Saturday after Friday's rest.
The Netherlands looked aggressive with the game barely two minutes old, but Balder Bomans's hit crossed the back-line. Pakistan replied through a Mahmood Ali reverse hit, clawed away to safety by goalkeeper Jaap Stock Mann in the 6th minute.
Pakistan's high-stepping forward Akhtar Ali drew first blood two minutes later with a rasping strike through a group of Dutch defenders, giving Mann no chance. But the tour party gave a signal it would not be an easy prey when the Dutch fought back to equalise just 60 seconds later through Tammo Gunst off an indirect drill.
Pakistan once again were in command when they went ahead, taking advantage of their penalty corner expert Mohammad Imran who was on target on the second short corner in the 12th minute to make it 2-1.
There was still more action from the home side as Akhtar worked hard down the left but saw his scorching effort going astray as Mahmood failed to connect. Pakistan goalkeeper Mohammad Iqbal was alert to produce a save during a second penalty corner The Netherlands earned in the 21st minute.
The hosts took barely few seconds to retaliate with a lightning attack and Yasir Islam's put his side further ahead with a perfect hit from the right. Akhtar's second strike knocked the life out of the Netherlands as the forward took full advantage of a 41st-minute defensive lapse before executing a full-blooded hit while Mann was beaten all ends up.
Both sides could have added at least one goal but Mahmood missed a sitter in the 49th minute, while Dutch rattled the post off their third penalty corner in the 50th minute.
Pakistan wasted more chances as Mahmood again failed to slam a Kashif Yaqoob hit before squandering another opportunity despite a slack Dutch defence. Stepping up pressure, Pakistan pressed for the fifth which they got when umpire Chowdhry Tanveer signalled for a penalty stroke in the 59th minute after the goal-bound ball touched a Dutch defender's foot.
Skipper Tariq Aziz, who stepped in to do the needful, converted the stroke to help his side go 5-1 up. Pakistan survived some anxious moments before winning the game as exhausted Dutch reduced the margin 5-2 through substitute Eby Kessing on a defensive blunder in the 62nd minute.
Another defensive lapse just a minute before time resulted in Bomans penetrating through Pakistan half unchecked and scoring the third with a splendid reverse flick.
Pakistan Juniors:
Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Imran, Ikhlaq Ahmad, Imran Khan, Mohammad Khalid, Asim Khan, Adnan Zakir, Mukhtar Ahmad, Mahmood Ali, Tariq Aziz (captain), Akhtar Ali.
The Netherlands Juniors:
Jaap Stock Mann, Balder Bomans, Steven Faaij, Tammo Gunst, Roderick Huber, Mike Husken (captain) Wouter Jolie, Klass Staatsen, Wouter Straten, George Sulkers, Huib Zwerer.
