18 June 2025 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Vantage Black Sticks Men have pulled off another incredible comeback, fighting back from 3–1 down at halftime to beat Pakistan 4–3 in their final pool game at the FIH Nations Cup.
New Zealand came out firing and dominated the opening minutes. The pressure paid off early with Nic Woods converting a penalty corner flick to give us the lead. But Pakistan responded in style.
They took control of the midfield, forcing turnovers and countering hard. Their defence was solid, shutting down every circle entry. Three unanswered goals put them in charge going into halftime — 3–1 to Pakistan.
The third quarter was all Black Sticks.
After multiple penalty corner chances were denied, Scott Cosslett finally broke through with a powerful flick. Just a minute later, he did it again — two goals in quick succession and suddenly we were back level at 3–3 heading into the final 15.
Cosslett wasn’t done.
Six minutes into the fourth, he nailed his third goal off another penalty corner to complete his hat-trick and give New Zealand a 4–3 lead.
There were more chances to extend the lead — a rocket from Sean Findlay and a diving effort from Finn Ward both denied by some outstanding goalkeeping from Pakistan. But the defence held strong, and the comeback was complete.
Final score: New Zealand 4, Pakistan 3.
That’s three wins from three pool games for the Vantage Black Sticks Men, who now finish top of Pool B and will face Korea in the semi-final. It’s live and free on TVNZ+.
Bring on the knockout stage — we’re just getting started.
New Zealand
