The New Zealand men’s hockey team felt they let a good result slip away in their opening match against India.
New Zealand took an early lead through a Sam Lane goal from a penalty corner (his first goal since breaking his foot six months ago) and manufactured plenty of chances throughout, but left the field wondering what might have been, having gone down 3-2.
India levelled after 24 minutes when Mandeep Singh converted a penalty corner and went ahead 2-1 ten minutes later when Vivek Prasad scored.
New Zealand had some good chances though and in one period in the third quarter had five shots at goal from penalty corners within five minutes.
Simon Child made it 2-2 after 53 minutes, and it seemed the match would end in a draw. But with just a minute remaining, Harmanpreet Singh slotted the decider from a penalty goal.
Child’s goal was his 148th, leaving him just two short of Phil Burrows’ New Zealand record.
The statistics pointed to New Zealand’s opportunities. They scored two goals from 14 shots, India three from 11. New Zealand created nine penalty corners to India’s five.
Both goalies had excellent games and were worked overtime. New Zealand’s Dom Dixon saved well from both open play and a penalty orner.
New Zealand captain Nic Woods called the game a case of “so near yet so far”.
“We targeted this game, and in the end we fell short,” he said. “We got the early goal we wanted and perhaps we took our foot off the gas a bit after that.”
Woods said Dixon had turned in a man of the match performance. “He was outstanding. Hopefully he can take confidence from his performance and carry that form into the rest of the tournament.”
New Zealand next play Belgium in a game that takes on extra importance after the result against India.