Local men's hockey team TCOB were "hot and cold" on Saturday, says coach Les Wilson.
In fact so "cold" that after taking a 5-2 lead after 20 minutes of the second half, TCOB had to survive the last five minutes at 5-4.
Thankfully ,MCOB were unable to mount any really meaningful attacks in that final period - but neither could TCOB, says Wilson.
"Both teams played in the middle of the field - it was almost like they both wanted to go home."
The day's second game was a disappointment locally, with Rangers below par in going down to Palmerston North Boys High School 4-1.
TCOB started so well against MCOB that it had two goals in eight minutes. The first was scored by Callum Wilbur in following-up a penalty corner shot, and the second saw Brad Williamson given too much space in the circle by MCOB - and he doesn't miss those.
But TCOB lost momentum and MCOB scored a field goal and a stroke from a PC to level after just 14 minutes of the game.
That's the kind of game it was.
It was TCOB's turn to regain the initiative from that point, and Kane Watkin - the game's dominant player - had two goals before halftime from following-up penalty corners.
Twenty minutes into the second half Brad Williamson set-up brother Trent for No5 and the home team looked to be cruising.
Too much, as it turned out.
Two goals were conceded rather too easily as TCOB went into sleep mode - but then some concentration came back to keep MCOB at bay in those final five minutes.
Rangers might have been suffering from a hangover from the national U-18 tournament in going down 4-1 to Palmerston North Boys High - but PNBHS also had players involved and it didn't seem to worry them.
Coach Langley Atkinson switched the team around to try to get some life into proceedings, but remained disappointed with the effort.
"Too many soft goals scored against us," Atkinson said.
Cameron Burgess scored the team's only goal from a nicely constructed early attack.
Unfortunately, that was one of few good moments for the local team.
Meanwhile, Wanganui's Collegians put together one very good half of hockey - and one not so good - to beat Palmerston North Girls High School 4-1 in Palmerston North.
With Pip and Beth Norman showing the way, Collegians had a strong first half to lead 3-1, but slackened a little from that point to add just one more.
Goal scorers were Hayley Mallinder, Karen Jurgens, Jess Watkin and Beth Norman.