Black Sticks two from two in Nations Cup

The Black Sticks men have scored a dominant 3-0 win over Austria in Gniezno, Poland to make it two wins from as many games in the FIH Nations Cup.

New Zealand controlled the game in the early stages, closing down and maintaining possession with some good exchanges.

Halfway through the first quarter, the New Zealand dominance was finally reflected in the scoreline as Isaac Houlbrooke squared an easy ball for Jonty Elmes to give them the lead.

A lacklustre 30 seconds towards the end of the first quarter almost cost them when they conceded a penalty corner, but Austria were not able to replicate their form from Friday.

The strategy to sit back and hit on the counter did not prove successful for Austria, who started energetically after the first half. They managed to keep the New Zealanders quiet until a deadly 90 seconds changed the fate of the game.

Elmes got his second of the day in what was almost a carbon copy of his first, Hugo Inglis feeding him for his sixth goal in eight appearances in black.

The cherry on the cake came courtesy of Joe Morrison, who scored his first international goal like a seasoned pro.