Story by REDintern Melvin Koh

Seng Kang Sports and Recreation Centre, Saturday, June 13, 2009 – New Zealand held powerhouse India to a 2-2 draw on Day 3 of the 2009 Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup.

India dominated possession in the first 10 minutes of play and had the first attempt at goal by Mandeep Antil (India, #11), but it failed to trouble the keeper.

New Zealand then took the lead almost immediately from a counter-attack, where captain Simon Child’s (New Zealand, #25) reverse hit was on target for the opening goal.

India had the first penalty corner but they failed to convert the opportunity at the first time of asking, the ball eluding the New Zealand keeper and crossing dangerously inches in front of goal before going out for another short corner. Captain Diwakar (India, #5) then managed to convert the second opportunity when he put a dragflick into the bottom right corner of goal for India’s equalising goal.

India almost scored again minutes later when Captain Diwakar (India, #5) made a pass which deceived the New Zealand defenders but Mandeep Antil (India, #11) failed to connect.

The same sequence of events was then experienced by the New Zealand youths as Hilton (New Zealand, #14) sent a powerful sweep to Wilson (New Zealand, #4), but he sent the shot just wide.

With 5 minutes left in the first half, a foul by India’s left-back gave New Zealand a short corner. A shot at goal from #25 was denied by India’s goalkeeper, but from the ensuing long corner, a solo attempt from Marcus Child (New Zealand, #5), who made his way into the D and smashed the ball into the net, opened a 2-1 lead for his team at the half.

New Zealand strung together a series of passes and managed to retain a greater share of possession just after the break, but could not stop their opponents from levelling the match. India’s #9 made it 2-2 after getting on the end of a shot from his team mate #12 after a long corner.

The New Zealand goalkeeper managed to neutralise the threat posed by the Indian forwards in the remainder of the match as he warded off their shot and flick attempts.

The draw put New Zealand into second position of the Group D table at this point, with India having an identical record with 4 points from a win and a draw.

The New Zealanders then managed to hold on to second place after the group matches were complete, a 2-2 draw with group leaders Netherlands clinching a medal-round place for them after India had lost 2-3 to the Dutch a day earlier.

Over in a Group B match on Day 4 (June 10, 2009), Chile suffered a third straight defeat as they were thumped 6-1 by South Africa.

South Africa took just 8 minutes to open the floodgates when Anthony (#22) flicked a penalty corner into the top right corner, making it impossible for the Chilean keeper to save.

They doubled their lead 5 minutes later when an unmarked #9 received a pass, brought the ball into the D and smashed a fierce shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.

It was 3-0 after 20 minutes of play, when from a well-versed penalty corner, Anthony scored his second of the match when he sent the ball into the bottom left corner.

The test on the Chilean defence continued as South Africa’s #10 attempted a reverse shot which sent the ball just inches above the frame of the goal. Anthony then almost completed his hat-trick after he attempted another drag-flick from a penalty corner which flew inches wide from the top left corner.

With only 5 minutes left in the first half, a rampant South African team were awarded another short corner, and though this time he eased the tension in the Chilean camp by gathering the ball, the Chile keeper could not stop South Africa’s Brandon Panther from scoring in the final minute of the half.

The latter made up for his inability to score from his previous attempt by scoring a superb individual goal, making his way swiftly into the D by eluding four Chile defenders and then taking a reverse shot which beat the keeper, sealing a four-goal first half lead for his team.

Although Chile tried to contain their stronger opponents, they were still vulnerable at set-pieces, and from another penalty corner five minutes after the break, Simon (South Africa, #13) drag-flicked the ball into the bottom right corner of the Chilean goal, making it 5-0.

Chile were awarded a short corner in the 45th minute, but it was easily contained by the South African players, who quickly turned defence into attack with instant counter-attacking play.

In the 53rd minute, confusion within Chile’s defensive area saw South Africa’s #13 score with the slightest of touches, giving his team a massive 6 goal lead.

Chile’s #14 managed to put in a consolation goal from a reverse shot, but Anthony then nearly scored his third when he sent the ball above the top frame again.

The 6-1 win was South Africa’s only win in the group, as they were beaten comprehensively by Australia and Germany, who progressed to the medal round. Chile propped up Group B with 4 losses in as many games.

In a drama-filled Singapore-Poland match on the same day, Tan Yiru scored co-hosts Singapore’s first goal of the competition after a deceiving fake from Sabri in a penalty corner to level the Group D match. But a lapse in the Singapore defence in the final minute of the match cost them a point when it led to a penalty corner, which in turn resulted in a penalty stroke for Poland, who clinched the 2-1 win with the successful conversion.

In action from the other groups, Argentina and Pakistan progressed from Group A to the medal round. Korea and Spain joined them from Group C.