Aussies down Belgium in Hockey opener

World No.1-ranked team Australia have beaten Belgium 1-0 in their opening match of the Hockey World League Final in India.

Australia have started their Hockey World League Final campaign with a tightly-contested win over Belgium in India.

Five-time World Player of the Year Jamie Dwyer scored a clinical goal from an acute angle after 22 minutes as the Kookaburras secured a 1-0 victory in Raipur.

The margin might have been greater if goals from Mark Knowles and Matt Gohdes had not been overturned on appeal to the video umpire.

Kookaburras coach Graham Reid said Saturday's win was a good "baseline performance for the rest of the tournament".

"We started well in the first five or 10 minutes but then we began turning over the ball, which allowed them to get back into it," Reid said.

"We came back in the second quarter and I was certainly happier at half time. It always helps to put some scoreboard pressure on."

Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter denied Belgian superstar Tom Boon from a penalty corner early on, with Boon also missing a good opportunity at the back post in the 15th minute.

Knowles' disallowed goal was ruled out when man-of-the-match Gohdes' original shot was deemed to have come off the underside of his stick.

Rockhampton-born forward Gohdes was on the wrong end of another referral after he knocked home late in the game.

Belgium successfully appealed that the ball had come up dangerously off his stick before the strike.

The world No.1 Kookaburras face Great Britain in their second match on Monday morning AEDT.


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Source: AAP


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