AUSTRALIA HIT PAKISTAN FOR SIX
Australia’s men’s team cast aside the disappointment of losing their
semi-final to find their scoring touch, hitting Pakistan for six. They
defeated the former Olympic champions 6-3 in the floodlit men’s bronze medal
match. As at the 1996 Games,
Australia have retained their women’s gold and their men’s bronze medals.
Australia’s hero was their 22 year old forward Troy Elder who scored
Australia’s first goal after two minutes. It was his first Olympic goal and
he went on to get a hat-trick.
Australia deceived Pakistan at their first penalty corner by letting the
ball go out to the 21yard broken line so that the corner became open play.
Brent Livermore picked out Elder unmarked in the circle and he lashed the
ball into the net.
Australia should have quickly added to their lead but instead Pakistan
levelled with Atif Bashir’s sixth minute free hit being deflected.
But Pakistan gave Australia’s attack far too much room and Australia were
ahead again inside two minutes and went on to lead 3-1 at half-time. Elder
added his second in open play and Stephen Davies followed up an Elder flick
at a corner for number three.
Pakistan won few corners but Sohail Abbas added to his seven previous
tournament goals from their second to give Pakistan hope. It was short-lived
as James Elmer nipped through the Pakistan defence for his third goal of the
Games, Elder added his third and Mike Brennan scored Australia’s sixth.
Pakistan stole their third goal five seconds from time, Kashif Javed scoring
after they broke from an Australian corner.
Spain, the 1996 Olympic and 1998 World Cup silver medallists, who have
failed to live up to expectations at this year's Games, at least finished their campaign with a couple of wins. They
finished in ninth place this afternoon with a 3-0 win over Canada.
A simple goal by Kuhan Shanmuganathan 100 seconds into extra time enabled
Malaysia to avoid the wooden spoon with a 3-2 victory over Poland. They finished 11th for the
second successive Olympics.
PAT ROWLEY
Sunday Times
