The New Zealand men's hockey side went down 3-2 to Malaysia last night in the second of two tests between the sides as they both prepare for the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament starting on Saturday.
The Black Sticks trailed 3-0 at half time and fought back in the second half with goals from Andy Hayward and new player Cory Bennett but it was not enough to give them the win they were after.
"It was disappointing that we did not show the same intensity that got us through the previous night [a 3-2 New Zealand win]," coach Colin Batch said. "In saying that, the second half was more encouraging and 3-0 is not insurmountable for this team. We will learn valuable lessons from this game, ahead of the Sultan Azlan Shah.".
There were a few promising moments for the Kiwis in the first half, but a number of errors gifted the home side opportunities to score in the 10th and 20th minutes. A field goal just prior to halftime made it an uphill battle for the Black Sticks in the second spell.
They stepped up their intensity in the second half, and Hayward trademark flick went high into the net in the 47th minute. Bennett, playing in his second test, scored the second goal from a well-worked penalty corner variation.
They worked hard to find an equaliser in the final 10 minutes of the match but couldn't find a way through.
The Black Sticks open their defence of the Sultan Azlan Shah trophy against Pakistan on Saturday night (NZT) and will also face Malaysia, Korea, India and Australia.
Malaysia 3 (Jalifaiz Helmi , Abdul Jalil Tengku Ahmad Tajudin, Mohd Noor Nabil Fiqri) New Zealand 2 (Andy Hayward, Cory Bennett). HT: 3-0
