The Netherlands have set up a first-place match with China in the women's Hockey World League Semi-Final ©FIH

The Netherlands set up a first-place match with China in the women's Hockey World League Semi-Final after beating New Zealand 5-4 following a penalty shootout at the Stade Fallon in Brussels.

Ella Gunson was the unfortunate player whose final, crucial attempt was saved as the world number one-ranked progressed. 

New Zealand moved into the lead early in the second-half with Kirsten Leigh Pearce getting on the end of a fierce cross into the circle to deflect the ball past Anne Veenendaal in The Netherlands goal.

The fourth quarter saw the Dutch increase the tempo as they won a series of penalty corners.

It was on the sixth of these that penalty corner specialist Caia van Maasakker stepped up and brought her team back on level terms.

New Zealand's Samantha Harrison left the field when she took a nasty knock, while team-mate Liz Thompson was yellow carded, leaving her side a player short with nine minutes to play.

A double save by Sally Rutherford in the final seconds of regulation time kept the Kiwis in the hunt for a place in the final.

They looked to have snatched a famous victory in the ensuing shootout with Samantha Charlton scoring what would have been the match winner with the final attempt of the first round. 

But while New Zealand celebrated, the Dutch called for a video referral, which showed Charlton’s shot crossed the line 0.2sec after the eight-second clock expired, and the call was reversed.

Both sides went shot for shot before Gunson's miss. 

China beat South Korea 3-0 to progress through to the first-place match ©FIH
China beat South Korea 3-0 to progress through to the first-place match ©FIH

China's Zhang Xiaoxue celebrated 100 caps as her nation comfortably overcame South Korea 3-0 in the other semi-final.

Gu Bingfeng scored in the sixth minute of the game from a penalty corner to give China the lead.

That advantage was extended in the 25th minute when Zhang Ying deflected the ball over South Korea goalkeeper Jang Soo Ji.

A stroke was proficiently put away by Liang Meiyu three minutes later to leave the South Korean team with a mountain to climb in the second-half, one which proved beyond them. 

This is the second successive Hockey World League Semi-Final in which China finished fourth in their pool and then reached the final.

In 2015, they were the runners-up to Great Britain.

In the first of today's two fifth-to-eighth-place play-off matches, Italy beat Spain 4-3 after a penalty shootout.

It followed a 1-1 draw in regulation time. 

The Italians will contest tomorrow’s fifth-place playoff against Australia, who defeated Belgium 5-1.

A place at the 2018 Hockey World Cup in England will be at stake.

Spain will face Belgium in the seventh-place play-off.