7 Dec 2009

Blacksticks coach has mixed reaction to draw with India

6:47 pm on 7 December 2009

The New Zealand men's hockey coach says his sides 2-all draw with India in their opening match at the Champions Challenge was a fair result with the teams dominating one half each.

India, ranked four places behind the Blacksticks, came out firing in the first half and the New Zealanders struggled to contain the Indian's individual flair.

However the Blacksticks dominated the second stanza and were unlucky not to claim the decisive goal after pressing the Indian's hard in the last quarter.

The New Zealand coach Shane McLeod says he was neither pleased nor disappointed with the result.