MCT: Netherlands defeats India in nail-biting finish 
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| Netherlands |
December 5, 2004 
PakTribune.com, Pakistan
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Defending Champion Holland beat India 5-4 after both teams displayed best hockey show of their life.
The Netherlands for the 56th time has now beaten India. Netherlands gained 12 points after the win.
Both sides played their best ever hockey but Holland with their powerful strokeplay and defence beat their opponents in the end.
Holland was in a commanding position after the conclusion of first half but India came back strongly to have a sniff in the match.
India got a penalty stroke in the 45th minute and that was their first in the Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy.
India's Arjun Halappa took full opportunity of the stroke and scored the goal, which took India to 4-3.
Afterwards Holland's De Nooijer Teun through a field goal took his team to a lead of 5-3.
India then again scored a goal through the efforts of Vikram Pillay to reduce the lead to 5-4 that remained till the end of the match.
It is pertinent to mention that the spectators witnessed an enthralling encounter, as both the teams never looked loosing the match.
Indians gave us tough time in field, says Terry Walsh
Coach of Netherlands hockey team Terry Walsh has said that match against India was tough and not easy in the end.
While giving an interview to journalists, he opined that India played very well and we had to play very well to beat them in the end.
"We were in a commanding position after the conclusion of the first half", he said.
"We have to pull our socks against Pakistan", he said.
Replying to a question he added that we couldn't take Pakistanis lightly in our match as they have some exciting and attacking players.
Meanwhile Captain of Holland team Delmee Jeroen was excited after the win but expected more from the players in future games.
"We need to strengthen our defence and proper planning must be done in other matches to tackle opponents, he added.
India performed well against Holland, says Gerhard
Coach of Indian hockey team Rach Gerhard has praised the performance of Indian team against defending champion Holland.
After loosing the match against Holland, Coach of Indian hockey team Rach Gerhard in a press briefing said that 5-4 result in the end was not winning for us but we gained useful points out of it.
"Holland team gave us a very tough time during the match but the boys did not panic for a second", he said.
Replying to a question, Indian coach said that Indian team is relatively new and on a rebuilding stage.
"We lost the match by a whisker against defending Champions Holland", Rach Gerhard underlined.
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