Men’s Champions Challenge 1: New Zealand ride on Child’s hat-trick to smash Poland 8-3

New Zealand rode on a sizzling hat-trick by Simon Child to decimate Poland 7-1 to record their third straight win in the FIH Men’s Champions Challenge 1 tournament at Kuantan, Malaysia. The highly impressive performance of the Black Sticks leaves them perched on top of Pool A and also stands them in good stead ahead of the quarterfinal stage.

Simon Child opened the account off a PC routine, while Andy Hayward consolidated the lead converting a short corner. The Poles were taken to the cleaners as Stephen Jenness netted the third goal in the 31^st minute before Andy Hayward scored another PC goal to put his side in the box seat with a 4-0 lead at half-time.

Simon Child added another one in the second half before Blair Hilton made it 5-0 five minutes later. The Black brigade got extra excited when Simon Child completed a well-deserved hat-trick in the 56^th minute. Poland pulled one back through Gorny Tomasz in the very next minute. Hugo Inglis scored the seventh goal for the New Zealand but Poland scored twice in the final two minutes through Krystian Makowski.

In another Pool A match Ireland pipped Japan by a solitary goal. In Pool B Korea chalked up their second win humbling France 3-2. In the second round of games, New Zealand drubbed Japan 6-1 while Poland beat Ireland 2-1 in Pool A. In Pool B Korea humbled Malaysia 3-1 while Canada edged France 3-2.

In the first round of matches, New Zealand beat Ireland 2-1 while Japan pipped Poland 2-1 in Pool A. In Pool B France beat Malaysia 3-2 while Korea drew Canada 3-3.