Pak surprise Holland 3-2 to keep hopes alive for 5th place

Monchengladbach, Sep 15 (UNI) Drag flicker Taeke Taekema failed when his team needed him the most as Pakistan surprised Holland 3-2 to keep their hopes alive for a fifth place finish in the hockey World Cup here today.

For the winners who led 2-0 at half time, Shakeel Abbasi (8th), Sohail Abbas (33rd), Zubair Muhammad (36th) were the scorers. Rob Reckers(42nd) and Taeke Taekema (46th) earned the goals for the losers.

It was a sweet victory for Pakistan as they in the process avenged 2-9 and 4-6 humiliations suffered at the hands of the Dutch at Champions Trophy and Hamburg Masters. Pakistan next plays England to decide the fifth/six place.

Holland's dependence on Taeke Taekema turned out to be their undoing as the Dutch drag flicker found young goal keeper Nasir Ahmed tough to beat. Holland forced six penalty corners but could convert only one.

Pakistan played an attacking game and had their fancied rivals on the backfoot especially in the first half. Interestingly the four-time World champions were till last year being coached by current Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans.

Pakistanis, for once, played an open game, and their forwards coordinated well. Though they were without their star player Dilawar Hussain, who had received one match suspension because of the foul play in the previous match against Australia, the Asian powerhouse did not allow the recent defeats cloud their performance.

''I am very happy with my boys performance,'' said Pakistan coach Shahnaz Shiekh after the match.

''The goal keeper Nasir Ahmad brought off some superb saves and overall team clicked well. It is very difficult to motivate the players to display such performance after having lost out in the medal race, but still boys played well,'' he added.

The Pakistan forwards clicked well and their fearsome duo of Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi made severa incisive opening. The Green Shirts did not play to the galleries and players tended to release the ball rather then holding on to it.

Holland started menacingly forcing a penalty corner in the third minute which went abegging and then Pakistani counter offensive rattled Champions Trophy winner and after surviving a scare they conceded a penalty corner.

Sohail Abbas's flick was blocked by goal keeper Guus Vogels but on the rebound Shakeel Abbasi displayed quick reflexes and with reverse shot sent the ball home.

After taking the lead, Pakistanis mounted the pressure and kept the Dutch defence busy. After being under pressure for 10 minutes, Holland retaliated and the Green Shirts fell back crowding the defence.

Two minutes before the breather Pakistanis launched a lightning counter attack and that fetched them their second penalty corner and this time Sohail Abbas was bang on target (2-0).

Two minutes into the second session, Hollands were rattled as unmarked Zubair Muhammad ran down the left flank and beat two unprepared defenders to slam the ball home (3-0).

A stunned Dutch side launched flurry of counter offensive and reduced the margin scoring two goals in space of four minutes. Rob Reckers made it (1-3) in the 42nd minute and then Taeke Taekema converted a penalty corner in the 46th to make it 2-3.

After that Holland did every but goal. They tried to earn penalty corner but today was not Taekema's day as he faiped with his flicks. And in the 70th minute, Holland forced another penalty corner and this time skipper Saqlain Muhammad made a magnificent goal line save to see his team through.

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