Kookaburras Remain Undefeated
The Kookaburras have beaten the Netherlands 3-1 in an ill-tempered game at Perth Hockey Stadium on day three of the Kookaburras Cup.
Luke Doerner converted two penalty corners after Glenn Turner had given the home side the early ascendency to leave the Kookaburras as the only undefeated team in the three-nations tournament.
The Kookaburras lead 2-0 at the break as the Dutch could manage only two shots on goal from 13 circle penetrations. Bob de Voogd did finally score from a penalty corner on 52 minutes but the Dutch never made the most of their opportunities in front of goal. In contrast, 20 circle penetrations by the Kookaburras yielded 10 shots on goal.
Doerner’s goals on 24 and 69 minutes were breathtaking – his second coming moments after he beat Jaap Stockman in the Dutch goal with yet another brutal drag flick but was denied by the goal post.
The game was physical in nature with neither side backing down from the contest. Tempers did boilover in the 58th minute of the match after a dangerous tackle in the Dutch circle.Klaas Vermeulen and Wouter Jolie were issued yellow cards for their part in the resulting fracas, while Kookaburras star Jamie Dwyer was rather harshly also sat down.
Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth said it was a game of great intensity with honours relatively even for most of the match.
“We could have buried them early and didn’t and when you do that you leave yourself open to an arm wrestle in the end,” he said.
“We didn’t finish well and could have done better and got a bunch of players sent off, we lost players for 25 minutes of the game, and that makes it hard for everyone else.”
In the earlier game, Australia A scored a solid 2-1 victory over Argentina.Both teams were hungry for success after suffering defeats to the Kookaburras and Netherlands and it was young Queenslander Jacob Whetton who scored the winner after both teams were deadlocked at 1-1 with four minutes to go.
Lucas Cammareri opened the scoring for Argentina at the 25 minute mark with a goal from open play but Australia A responded almost immediately. AIS-WAIS athlete Fergus Kavanagh showed tremendous vision and accuracy to find an unmarked Tim Bates in the Argentinean circle, forcing the defensive error with the Bates scoring from the resultant resulting penalty corner to make matters even.
The next round of games takes place at Lemnos Field in Shenton Park on Tuesday 14 February. The Kookaburras are likely to make up to seven changes for their clash with Australia A at 3.45pm, whilst Argentina take on the Netherlands at 5.30pm.
– – Hockey Australia
