BEIJING, Aug 21: New Zealand notched-up their maiden win over Pakistan in the history of Olympics when they registered an impressive 4-2 triumph in a classification match to send the Green shirts tumbling to their worst-ever finish at the Games on Thursday.
New Zealand’s hero in the match was penalty corner striker Hayden Shaw who banged in two goals off penalty corners as his team clinched the seventh spot in the competition at Beijing Olympics 2008.
Like in the previous matches, Pakistan failed to break the goal-scoring jinx as Kiwis upstage them in a contest held amid heavy downpour.
This was Pakistan’s worst-ever showing in 61 years of sports history of the country and in 15 Olympic Games since 1948.
Simon Child and Gareth Brooks scored the other two goals through field efforts. Abbas Haider and Rehan Butt netted the goals for Pakistan.
Pakistan got off to a sterling start when they mustered two penalty corners in the first 14 minutes. But both times, New Zealand custodian Kyle Pontifex brought off spectacular saves to keep striker Imran Warsi at bay.
Pakistan enjoyed the upper hand in the most part of the first session. However, it was Kiwis who opened the scoring in the 26th minute through outstanding show by Simon Child whose effort was rewarded after he had missed a couple of gilt-edge chances.
Two goals at the start of the second half from Shaw and Brooks gave New Zealand a decisive 3-0 lead in the contest. First, New Zealand converted their opening short corner in the 38th minute to gain 2-0 advantage and didn’t give Pakistan any time to recover from the set-back when Gareth Brooks scored to make it 3-0 barely four minutes later.
Abbas Haider pulled one back in 46th minute but a second penalty corner conversion by Hayden Shaw consolidated New Zealand lead.
Rehan Butt then struck for Pakistan in the 56th minute to make it 2-4 but it was not going to be enough.
In the last five minutes Pakistan kept New Zealand defence at bay but their three penalty corner attempts at the goal failed to bear fruit and the Asian outfit finished at an embarrassing eighth spot.—APP
