Craig Fulton relieved as India beat Pakistan 4-3 to reach Asian Games final
India head coach Craig Fulton saw his side survive a Pakistan fightback to win 4-3 and reach the Asian Games hockey final on Thursday, October 1. The defending champions had taken a 3-0 lead before Pakistan levelled the semifinal, and India later found a late winner.
Fulton said he was relieved rather than satisfied after the match and admitted India had made the contest harder than it needed to be. "I'm relieved. You can't be happy with being 3-0 up, then going 3-3 and then winning 4-3. I'm happy, but that wasn't ideal," Fulton said.
He identified a loss of structure in a critical phase as the reason Pakistan were able to come back. "We lost a little bit of our shape in the third quarter and at the start of the fourth. But if you make mistakes against a team like this, they can score. They've scored goals against everyone and anyone," he said.
Fulton pointed to missed opportunities in the first half that kept Pakistan within reach. "We needed to get to four and five goals. We missed a few chances and had a lot of good phases of play in the first half. We needed to get to four or five, but we stayed at three," Fulton said. "You need three-plus goals when you play Pakistan, and that was shown today."
Rejecting the notion that India deliberately retreated after leading, Fulton stressed errors, not a defensive change of approach, allowed Pakistan to score. "I don't think we went on the defensive. We just missed the chances. And then, when you make a mistake or two against a team like that, they can score. That's the difference," Fulton said.
He also emphasised the need to respond to the match as it unfolded rather than trying to impose a preferred style. "You can't play the game you want to play. You have to play the game that's in front of you. And that's what it was. I'm glad we found a way to get to it," he said.
Fulton said India became a touch distracted by the outcome in the closing stages and planned internal review. "We showed we could play in the first half, even a bit more, around 40 minutes. In the last 20, it got a little bit cagey. We'll look at it, have the conversation and come back and bounce back again," he said. "It's more about the outcome, I think. Not necessarily the occasion. We were a little bit more distracted by the outcome in that moment. But there's still time left on the clock, so you can't do that."
He dismissed suggestions that a run of untroubled wins earlier in the tournament left India unready for Pakistan and spoke about adapting during a long season. "I don't think so. I just think it's more about us than it's about Pakistan," he said. "It wasn't easy. But because of the tournament you're in, it changes with the dynamics. We can adapt, keep that narrative fresh, stay in the present and not worry or look too far ahead," Fulton added.
Fulton welcomed his team's refusal to let the game drift to a shootout and urged improved execution in future stages. "Everyone's trying their best. We scored three goals the way we did and created a lot more chances. That's where you need to step up, stay nice and calm and finish what you start," he said.
The victory sends India into the Asian Games final, and Fulton said the defending champions must tighten their defence, improve their finishing and maintain their composure if they are to complete their title defence.
