Australia overcome Pakistan 3-0 to top the pool

Monchengladbach, Sep 14 (UNI) Playing to a plan, Olympic champions Australia overcame Pakistan 3-0 to top Pool 'A' and set up a semi-final clash with Korea in the Hockey World cup here.

Australia ended with 12 points from five matches while four times champion Pakistan took the fourth spot in the pool with five points from as many matches and will now play Holland for the fifth/sixth place.

For Australia, who led 2-0 at half time, the goal scorers last night were Bevan George (14th, 52nd) and Jamie Dwyer (33rd).

This was the second time the two teams were playing each other in six months. In March, Australia had beaten Pakistan 3-0 in the Commonwealth Games to win the gold.

The Green shirts failed to display the fighting spirit they are famous for. They were expected to give the Aussies a tough fight, considering it to be a grudge match after the Melbourne clash but it was not to be.

Australians did not play at very fast pace and after establishing a 2-0 lead in the first session, they did not exert much but the Pakistanis could not take advantage of the situation.

Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt made few solo efforts but were unable to get past the solid Australian defence. Adnan Massod did a lot of aimless running and was also involved in a heated argument with the Aussies but that did not help his side.

Saqlain Muhammed, Ghazanfar Ali and Ihsan Ullah toiled hard in the defence but could not prevent the rampaging Aussies from scoring.

The Australians surged ahead in the 14th minute off the first penalty corner. Luke Doerner's weak flick was cleared by goal keeper Salman Akbar but on the rebound George Bevan sent the ball home (1-0).

After that the Olympic champions raided the rival citadel repeatedly but kept on missing the target.

Pakistan citadel collapsed for the second time two minutes before the breather when Jamie Dwyer latched on to a ball and cut through the defence before sweeping the ball home (2-0).

It took another 19 minutes for the Aussies to get their third goal and this time it was Beven George who was on the target (3-0) leaving the defenders and goal keeper surprised.

The Pakistan counter attacks fetched them four penalty corners but it was not Sohail Abbas's day as he failed to convert any.

In other semi final, defending champions Germany will take on Spain.

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