They kept coming, but the Black Sticks just could not quite snatch a late equaliser in their Olympic opener against India this afternoon, falling to a 3-2 defeat.
Despite the result, it was an impressive performance in scorching heat against the four-time Olympic champions and the current fourth best side in the world.
The Black Sticks struck first early in the first quarter, Kane Russell scoring off a penalty corner.
India quickly equalised and then took the lead late in the half to go into the break with a 2-1 advantage.
They further extended that to 3-1 not long after half time, but the Black Sticks refused to go down without a fight.
A well-worked play down the right flank saw Stephen Jenness poke home a cross from Nick Wilson late in the third quarter.
The Black Sticks continued to pile on the pressure late in the game, winning several penalty corners, but were just unable to get past the wall of defenders to bag an equalising goal.
The Black Sticks have a quick turnaround, playing Spain tomorrow night.
WATCH THE OLYMPICS: TVNZ 1 and TVNZ OnDemand feature 12 hours of free-to-air action focussed on Kiwi athletes each afternoon and evening, while Sky TV has Olympics coverage across 12 channels and streaming platforms.
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