Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 11:06 AM

Host China has entered the Olympic women's field hockey semi-finals at Australia's expense after holding the former champion to a 2-2 draw in a crucial league match.

The Chinese, who needed a draw to qualify, overcame a spirited Hockeyroos fight-back to finish second in pool A behind the Netherlands.

Both China and Australia finished level on 10 points each, but the home side went through on a superior goal difference of plus-two to qualify for its second successive Olympic semi-final.

"If we had five more minutes, we could have had the result we wanted," veteran Australian captain Nikki Hudson said.

"I guess things were not meant to be. You can't win everything.

"I am proud of our girls even though things did not go as we would have liked. This young team of ours has made a great start."

In Wednesday's semi-finals, China takes on defending champion and pool B winner Germany, while world number one the Netherlands clashes with number two Argentina.

China appeared secure when Li Hongxia scored once in each half to make it 2-0 before the Hockeyroos, the Atlanta and Sydney gold medallists, launched a breathtaking comeback.

Casey Eastham reduced the margin in the 51st and Sarah Young drew level in the 62nd, but time ran out on the Australians, who needed a win to make the semi-finals.

They will now play off for fifth and sixth place, as they did in Athens.

The Dutch meanwhile ended the league as the only team with five straight wins after beating Spain 2-0 through goals by Maartje Paumen and Ellen Hoog.

Germany, which defeated the Netherlands in the Athens Games final four years ago, topped the other pool with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Japan, its fourth success in five matches.