Pakistan beats Australia; Clinches Rabobank Men's Trophy
Pakistan Times Sports Desk

AMSTERDAM (Holland): Pakistan won the Rabobank Men’s Trophy in Amsterdam with a 4-3 win in the final win over Australia.

Australia led 3-2 at half-time thanks to goals from from Travis Brooks, Grant Schubert and Ben Bishop.

But Rehan Butt and Mudassar Ali Khan added strikes in the second half to those from Imran Wasi and Adnan Zakir.

Spain took third place, beating Korea 2-1. England lost their play-off for seventh place on Saturday, going down 2-1 to India.

A resilient Pakistan came from behind to beat Olympic champions Australia 4-3 in a pulsating summit clash to claim the Rabo Trophy on Sunday.

Trailing 2-3 at the break, Pakistan outwitted the favourites with a display of aggression backed by a solid defence, where goalkeeper Salman Akbar emerged as the hero.

The Pakistan goalscorers were Imran Warsi (18th), Adnan Zakir (32nd), Rehan Butt (42nd) and Mudassar Ali Khan (50th min) while for Australia, Travis Brooks, Grant Schubert and Ben Bishop found the mark in the 8th, 24th and 34th minutes respectively.

The Aussies began on an electric note testing Akbar four times in the first five minutes with forays from Schubert, Jamie Dwyer and Brooks.

They broke the deadlock in the eighth minute when Brooks drew Akbar aside from a Michael McCann pass and neatly pushed the ball in.

Pakistan, realising that their best chance was to match the Aussies, forced their first penalty corner ten minutes later when Shakeel Abassi was obstructed. Warsi, being groomed as Sohail Abbas’s successor, flicked powerfully past Stephen Lambert to make it 1-1.

The Aussie forwards then started penetrating into the Pakistan defence with monotonous regularity and were rewarded in the 24th minute when Schubert scored from a Bishop and McCann combine.

Champions Trophy holders Spain shrugged off a late challenge from South Korea to emerge 2-1 winners and claim the bronze medal in the Rabo Trophy hockey tournament here today.

Spain, who led by 1-0 at the breather, scored through a brace by Santi Freixa through penalty corners, while Yoon Sung Hoon reduced the margin for the Koreans. Even though Spain remained unbeaten in this tournament, they struggled to find their rhythm upfront. And coupled with a vulnerable defence, they conceded six penalty corners, which to their fortune were kept out by the spectacular saves from goalkeeper Bernardino Herrera.

Spain made the best of the two corners, scoring from both, Freixa’s flick being first deflected in by Hyung Bae Han in the 31st minute and then a perfect dragflick went past Ko Dong Sik in the 57th minute.

Korea rallied towards the end of the game and succeeded with a brilliant effort from Jang Jong Hyun who weaved past the Spanish defence to set up Yoon Sung Hyun in the 65th minute.

Just before the hooter was blown Korea frittered away their last chance for the equaliser as Kang Seong Jung flicked off target.●