Australia

THE Hockeyroos started and finished last night's Test with a blur to make a successful start to their six-match Test series with Korea, winning 3-2 at the Distinctive Homes Hockey Arena.

South Australian DeAnne Gilbert, making her Hockeyroos debut, was under the pump straight away as the Koreans won a short corner only two minutes into the game.

Gilbert, along with deep defenders Nicole Arrold and Angie Skirving, rejected one attack after another to establish a pattern of relentless defence.

Australia wasted no time going on the attack. In the eighth minute veteran Nikki Hudson, who seemed to have a hand in everything early on, put Australia on the board with a brilliant second-effort goal.

The other home-town hero for the vocal crowd, Donna-Lee Patrick, came off the bench at the 12-minute mark and immediately made her presence felt, using her formidable speed and stickwork through the midfield to put the visitors two goals in arrears in the 19th minute. She seized on a loose ball and smacked a raised shot into the corner of the net.









Australia maintained control for the rest of the first half but a moment of lapsed concentration only seconds from half time cost it dearly, Kim Mi Seon leaving the Hockeyroos wrong-footed and scoring straightforwardly.

The visitors held the ascendancy for much of the second term. They drew level after a cross-goal sweep found Park Seon Mi unmarked at the far post and she casually knocked it past Toni Cronk who replaced Gilbert at half time.

But with star Nikki Hudson's return to her dominating form of the first half, Australia peppered Korea's defence in the closing five minutes.

A slick Wendy Alcorn midfield intercept sparked the Hockeyroos' win. She and Hudson then ran the ball into attack where Hudson drew a short corner.

Her flick was trapped by Fiona Johnson, Skirving drilling the winning goal.

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