WCT: Australia: Hockeyroos denied shot at bronze 
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| Australia |
November 15, 2004
Toowoomba Chronicle
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TOOWOOMBA players Karen Smith and Susie Faulkner both scored goals, but it was to no avail as the Hockeyroos lost a controversial bronze medal play-off match to Argentina at the Champions Trophy tournament in Rosario, Argentina.
Two second-half penalty corner goals, one scored in dubious circumstances, denied the Hockeyroos and handed the host nation the bronze medal with a 3-2 win.
Luciana Aymars winning goal in the 54th minute was disputed by the Hockeyroos defenders who claimed the shot was too high.
But after the umpires consulted, the goal stood and Argentina led 3-2, a margin they held until full-time.
After the match, tournament officials conceded the goal was scored illegally, effectively denying the Hockeyroos a chance to force extra time.
In contrast to their 5-1 roundrobin defeat, the Hockeyroos had Argentina on the back foot from the start and exploited their sluggish defence.
The breakthrough didnt take long, with Faulkner running along the baseline before dragging the ball towards the penalty spot. Hope Brown got the better of Argentine goalkeeper Mariela Antoniska and the ball fell to Smith who made no mistake to silence the crowd and give Australia a 1-0 lead.
Argentina equalised, but the Hockeyroos again took the lead in the shadow of half-time, Faulkner perfectly positioned on the right post for an easy deflection and a 21 lead at the break.
The second half was keenly fought, but once Argentina was able to get in front, they made it increasingly difficult for Australia.
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