The Silver Ferns were denied a clear goal in their Quad Series defeat to Australia, in a shambolic display of on-court umpiring.
In the final quarter of Thursday morning's final, and with the Silver Ferns trailing 51-44, goal attack Ameliaranne Ekenasio scored a goal that should have brought New Zealand back to within six.
However, as an off-the-ball collision between Grace Nweke and Australian defender Courtney Bruce left both players on the court, the umpires didn't see the goal scored by Ekenasio.
"I couldn't see if the goal was scored, my apologies," umpire Anso Kemp was then heard telling Ekenasio and Nweke.
And because neither umpire saw the goal scored, it was discounted from the Silver Ferns' score.
"I cannot believe my eyes," said commentator Catherine Cox. "We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen again. Wow, wow, wow.
"I haven't seen that happen in any game I can remember."
Instead, play was restarted with a toss up, which Nweke also struggled to comprehend.
"I actually didn't know what was going on," said Nweke. "You'd have to ask Anso what she was thinking.
"Me and Court [Bruce] went down, a couple of pushes here and there. Meels [Ekenasio] had put the shot up. I didn't even see it, neither did Anso.
"It went to a toss up, which is a new one. I haven't had one of those since high school."
Ultimately, though, the goal wouldn't have helped the Silver Ferns' efforts, as New Zealand slipped to a 56-50.
