BY TERRY MADDAFORD
In New Delhi
Pakistan will play off against Canada for the wooden spoon at the Hero Honda World Cup after they lost 2-1 to Australia last night and slumped to the bottom of group B.
Minutes later in lining up for their last round-robin game against South Africa and fully aware that a loss would bring the unthinkable -- India and Pakistan filling the bottom two places in their pool and left to play off for the crumbs -- the hosts, spurred by another noisy crowd even if smaller than earlier games, could not have had a worse start.
Deftly turning defence into attack, Lloyd Harris-Jones raced away, retained his composure and hit home on the run for 1-0 after seven minutes.
Stunned, and fearing the worst, India struck back when Sarvanjit Singh dribbled his way into the South African circle and slammed home the equaliser.
Ten minutes before halftime, the home side gave the crowd something more to cheer about when, after muffing a penalty corner opportunity, Diwaker got his stick to a good ball played in from outside the circle to score for a 2-1 lead which they held until halftime.
Four minutes into the second spell the South Africans were back on terms when the Indian defence failed to clear a penalty corner and Justin Reid-Ross was on hand to push home for 2-2.
They then inflected further agony on the Indian cause in the 48th minute after a video call ruled in their favour and eventually led to a second penalty corner which captain Austin Smith converted for a 3-2 lead.
With time running out and fifth place beckoning, Shivendra Singh pounced and, from close range, gathered a rebound off the goalkeeper’s pads to send the ball high into the African goal for 3-3 and a precious point which took them out of the nine-10th play-off and into the play-off for seventh and eighth which could be against New Zealand.
South Africa will play Argentina for ninth and 10th.
There was a ho-hum feeling at the stadium for the first two games in the two pool matches in group B.
England, already assured of their semifinal spot but aware a point from their game against Spain would guarantee them as top qualifiers and an easier game in Friday’s semis, hardly raised a sweat.
They slumped to their first loss of the tournament, going down 2-0 in a game in which both teams appeared to be feeling the effects of a testing week of top class hockey.
With the halftime hooter already behind them, the Spanish took the lead when Pau Quemada dragged home his fourth penalty corner for a 1-0 halftime lead.
England, who have not beaten Spain at this level since they won a match 5-4 in the 5th-8th play-offs back in 1975, fell further behind in the 65th minute when Quemada set up a neat field goal for Eduard Tubau who ran the ball over the line and into the England goal o complete the scoring.
Australia, needing a win to push England out of top spot on goal difference, made much of the first half running against Pakistan, created more chances, but were let down when it counted.
It was little surprise that the deadlock was eventually broken by Sohail Abbas. After crashing his first penalty corner attempt, in the 24th minute, on to the crossbar, he did not miss with a second a minute later.
After turning a goal down, the Australians wasted little time in getting back into the game when, three minutes into the second half, Des Abbott pounced on a good ball from Kiel Brown to hit home.
Pakistan had golden chances to go back in front but Abbas missed two penalty corners -- the second by centimetres -- to keep Australian hopes alive but they did not help themselves when Luke Doerner too failed to find the Pakistan goal with his 53rd minute attempt.
After successfully appealing against a call for a Pakistan penalty corner, Australia snatched victory two minutes from time when Abbott added a second field goal.
That 2-1 win assured the Kookaburras of top spot and a likely semifinal with Germany who they lost to -- 4-3 -- in the final four years ago.
England now face the Netherlands, already assured of pool A, in the other semifinal.
ENDS
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