Hoc: Kookaburras break through for Olympic gold in extra time

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2004
Hoc: Kookaburras break through for Olympic gold in extra time

A extra-time golden goal from striker JAMIE DWYER won Australia its first Olympic Games
men's hockey gold medal in a 2-1 win over defending champion the Netherlands today.

After five failed Games campaigns since winning silver in Montreal in 1976, DWYER thumped
home a goal from a penalty corner at the end of the first half of extra-time to shake
the monkey off Australian men's hockey's back.

DWYER's goal broke the deadlock after the teams were tied 1-1 at the end of normal time.

The Kookaburras had won world championships and Champions Trophies but the Olympic
gold proved maddingly elusive as they collected two silver and two bronze medals in the
past six Olympics and earned a tag as Olympic chokers.

But they dominated today's match, even though they fell a goal behind after 29 minutes
when RONALD BROUWER rounded defender MATTHEW WELLS and keeper STEPHEN MOWLAM to give the
Dutch a 1-0 halftime lead.

Then TRAVIS BROOKS equalised for the Kookaburras three minutes after the break, banging
in the rebound after keeper GUUS VOGELS initially blocked a DWYER shot.

AAP RTV gh/nh/sh

KEYWORD: OLY HOC AUST (ATHENS)

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