ATHENS, Aug 27: Pakistan came from behind to down New Zealand 4-2 on final day of men's Olympic hockey tournament securing fifth place with Man-of- the-Match Sohail Abbas scoring a penalty corner hat trick.

It was an evenly played match in the end, with New Zealand in control in first 35 minutes and Pakistan coming back to dominate in second half to win. New Zealand opened the scoring in 16th minute when Gareth Brooks netted his first goal of the tournament on a Wayne McIndoe pass.

In the final minute of first half, Sohail levelled the score by converting Pakistan's fourth penalty corner. However, New Zealand were 2-1 up at halftime as Darren Smith Scored from a penalty corner with time expired in the half.

After the break Pakistan took full advantage, scoring twice when New Zealand's Dean Couzin was sent off for 10 minutes at 46th minute. Sohail scored his second penalty corner goal just one minute later making it 2-2.

Pakistan increased the pressure and took a 3-2 lead when Kashif Jawwad scored from open play in the 55th minute on a Rehan Butt pass. Sohail completed his penalty corner hat trick in 68th minute to make the final score to 4-2. It marked his 10th penalty corner goal of This tournament.

The penalty corner specialist now tops the top scorer list with 11 goals, leading Korea's Lee Jung Seon by one goal. For the Kiwis sixth place marks their best performance at the Olympics since they won the gold in 1976.

Pakistan's fifth place was slightly worse than their result in Sydney four years ago when they finished fourth. Meanwhile, arch-rivals India blasted Asian Games champions South Korea 5-2 to finish seventh.

The win helped India retain the same position they took at Sydney four years ago and ensured their new German coach Gerhard Rach will survive at least till the end of the year.

Indian hockey chief Kunwar Gill said Rach, who took over barely three weeks before the Olympics, will coach the team in the eight-match series against Pakistan starting in the end of September.

"Rach is not going anywhere," said Gill, who sacked Cedric D'Souza as coach midway through the 2002 World Cup in Malaysia and ousted Rach's predecessor Rajinder Singh last month.

Rach was picked as India's first foreign coach after the eight-time Olympic champions tried 14 coaches in the last 10 years in a desperate bid to regain former glory. Britain, meanwhile, finished ninth by defeating South Africa on penalty strokes after both teams were tied 1-1 at the end of extra-time.

Argentina took 11th place with a 4-2 win over lowly Egypt. Defending champions the Netherlands clash with Australia for the gold medal later on Friday. Germany will take on Spain for the bronze.

Later, an 80th-minute golden goal by Bjoern Michel gave world and European champions Germany a 4-3 win over Spain to win the men's hockey Olympic bronze medal in Athens Friday.

The gold medal match was being played later in the evening between defending champions the Netherlands - going for their third successive Olympic title - and Australia. Germany and Spain fought to a 1-1 first-half draw with a 22nd- minute strike from Germany's Sascha Reinelt getting a 31st-minute penalty stroke reply by Santiago Freixa.

Eduardo Tubau then twice put the Spaniards in the lead in the second half, with Eike Duckwitz and Bjoern Emmerling getting the equalisers, all in ten minutes of furious second half play.

Michel then struck ten minutes into extra time for the Germans, who were dominating towards the end, and whose bronze medal follows the surprise gold won by Germany's women Thursday in the final against favourites the Netherlands. -Agencies

Pakistan 4 New Zealand 2

India 5 South Korea 2

Britain 1 South Africa 1

(Britain won 4-3 on penalties)

Argentina 4 Egypt 2

Germany 4 Spain 3

(for bronze medal)