FIH Hockey Pro League: Netherlands comeback from 3 goals down to snatch shootout victory

The curtain came down on the Sydney leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League with two high-quality matches, but disappointment for the passionate home fans.

- AGENCIES

In the men's tournament, it was reigning Olympic gold medallists the Netherlands who got the better of current champions Australia, coming from three goals down to draw 4-4 before clinching a bonus point with a 3-1 shootout.

The opening quarter felt like a full 60 minutes of hockey with high-paced play ranging from end to end. There were a couple of early chances for both sides before Derck de Vilder put the Dutch ahead in the 7th minute.

The second quarter started much like the first, but things tightened in the middle of the period. Jeremy Hayward equalised for the Kookaburras with a 27th-minute drag flick, and Benjamin White scored his first international goal for Australia from a recycled penalty corner to take the hosts into half time with a 2-1 lead.

Both Australian goal scorers repeated their success in the third quarter, Hayward adding a 32nd-minute drag and White grabbing a field goal in the 36th. That saw the Kookaburras carrying a 4-1 lead and tremendous momentum through to the final period.