Azlan Shah Cup: Australia clinch Title by beating Pakistan in a thriller

Round-up of matches on the final day (15May 2011) – Britain finish third

Australia 3 (Christopher Ciriello 2, Glenn Turner) beat Pakistan 2 (Sohail Abbas, Rehan Butt) - Half-Time 1-1

Australia won the Title a record 6th time by prevailing over Pakistan in a high-class fast-paced final at Ipoh, Malaysia. Australia, who earlier had trounced Pakistan in the league stage, were given a tough time as the match went into extra time sudden death after being tied 2-2 at full-time. Christopher Ciriello’s goal sealed the match for Australia.

Ciriello put Australia ahead in the 11th minute when his drag-flick thudded into the goal, beating the keeper on his right. Pakistan upped the tempo creating a host of opportunities but were denied by the Aussie defence. Rehan Butt and Abdul Haseem Khan came close to equalizing, but it was Sohail Abbas who did that in the 30th minute by converting a penalty corner, Pakistan’s second. It was 1-1 at half-time.

Sohail Abbas’s shot was saved by Bazeley as the second half started with Pakistan earning a penalty corner. In the 44th minute, Turner turned it on for Australia when his field goal gave his team the lead. Now it was time for Pakistan to attack and try to come at level terms again, but Rehan Butt missed another opportunity to score. He soon made amends by flicking the ball in the goal in the 62nd minute. Australia got two more penalty corners before the final whistle, but had to contend with a 2-2 score line.

Extra time yielded a number of penalty corners on either side, as both teams played attacking Asian-style hockey. First half of the extra-time too was locked at 2-2, but in the 83rd minute, Ciriello flicked the ball high into the left of the net to give Australia the winner.

Australia now have won their 6th Azlan Shah Title, edging ahead of India who have five. Pakistan’s hopes of winning their 4th Title were dashed by strong Australians, but they certainly have achieved the result which shows the positive progress started after winning the Asiad early this year.

Great Britain 4 (Richard Mantell Robert Moore, Richard Smith, Mathew Daly) beat New Zealand 2 (Stephen Jenness, Blair Hilton) - Half-Time 1-1

Stephen Jenness scored first for New Zealand in the 20th minute, after an early shot into the net by Hayward was denied by the umpire. Richard Mantell scored the equalizer for Britain just at the stroke of the half-time when his drag-flick went between the legs of the keeper.

Robert Moore scored a brilliant field goal to give Britain lead in the 51st minute. Richard Smith (59 minutes) and Mathew Daly (64 minutes) gave Britain a comfortable 4-1 lead. Although Blair Hilton reduced the margin for Black Sticks in the 69th minute, it was too late to give his team any hope.

South Korea 2 (Nam Hyun-Woo 2) beat India 1 (Vikram Pillay) - Half-Time 2-0

The defending champions India rounded off a poor tournament, losing to Koreans and finishing 6th, second last after Malaysia. Nam Hyun-Woo stunned India by scoring two penalty corner goals in the first half. Vikram Pillay reduced the margin in the second half, but India were denied the equalizer by the Korean defence.

Final Standings:

1- Australia
2- Pakistan
3- Great Britain
4- New Zealand
5- South Korea
6- India
7- Malaysia