Australia’s female hockey team, the Hockeyroos, has been beaten overnight in the final of the World Cup in Spain, losing to the hot favourites, Holland, 3-1.

It completed an unhappy quinella for our hockey teams this year, as the men had also lost the World Cup final in September.

The final was a tough but unspectacular affair in front of a subdued Spanish crowd. The Hockeyroos had done well to make it all the way to the final but didn’t have the spark required to upset the Dutch.

AAP reports that Australia had a lucky escape, courtesy of the video referee, after the ball was deflected into our goal with five minutes to go in the first half. As the Dutch celebrated, the Australians claimed the ball had deflected off an Australian stick and therefore wasn’t a goal. The tape agreed and they went into half time at 0-0.

However, seven minutes into the second half, Holland scored through a penalty corner. Australia replied through Rebecca Sanders, also from a corner, but the Dutch hit the front again as their star scorer Sylvia Karres found the net, and then put the game beyond doubt with a third goal, with four minutes left to play.

Holland’s captain Minke Booij was named World Player of the Year afterwards, and must be at least a chance for best-named international captain of the year.