Govers gives Australia 5th successive Champions Trophy title

PTI

MELBOURNE: A golden goal by Kieran Govers gave Australia their fifth successive Champions Trophy title as the hosts prevailed 2-1 over the Netherlands in the final on Sunday.

Govers sent a stinging shot into the boards from top of the circle in the fifth minute of extra-time to clinch Australia’s fifth successive Champions Trophy triumph after the teams were tied 1-1 in regulation period.

Olympic silver-medallists the Netherlands had opened the scoring in the 18th minute through a penalty corner conversion by Sander de Wijn, while Australia equalised in the 31st minute on a penalty corner strike by Russell Ford.

Australia dominated the title contest against the Dutch, who were playing their first final after six years.

Dutch custodian Jaap Stockmann, who played a brilliant game against dominant Australian strikers, was beaten by a firm shot from Govers, who had been left unmarked on top of the circle and received the ball from Eddie Ockenden.

Ockenden, captaining the Australian team in the final, shaped the winning goal through his fine move down the centre when he got past a host of Dutch defenders before finding Govers on the right flank with a measured pass that helped Australia overcome Netherlands.

The Dutch had held Australia to a goalless draw in their preliminary league encounter.

Netherlands opened the scoring on their first penalty corner when Sander de Wijn sent a soaring drag-flick into the top corner of the net.

Stung by the reverse, Australia came out strongly to force three penalty corners in seven minutes before half time.

Australia got the equaliser through a penalty corner conversion in the 31st minute when Ford swept the ball into the boards on a set-piece execution.

The defending champions could have gone one up at half-time after Christopher Ciriello’s penalty corner shot in the 35th minute struck Dutch captain Klass Vermeulen’s body on the goal-line and a penalty stroke was awarded.

But Stockmann effected a save on Jamie Dwyer’s penalty stroke. Playing the full-press game, Australia forced the Dutch to fall back to defend their goal but Stockmann brought off some brilliant saves to deny them a goal.