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HOCKEY
A COMPREHENSIVE win to YMP A and a thrilling 1-1 draw between Ngatapa and Gisborne Girls’ High School got the four-day senior hockey series under way on the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve last night.
In the first game last night, the top YMP women’s team were too strong for JNL Paikea and ran out 6-1 victors.
Despite the scoreline, spectators said the Paikea side gave a good account of themselves and fought hard against the current women’s champions.
The second match went down to the wire, Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa and Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High locked at 1-1 at the final whistle.
Girls’ High scored early on and dominated play for the bulk of the game.
Ngatapa equalised midway through the last quarter.
Girls’ High had a chance to score again in the dying moments of the match but failed to capitalise.
The busy weekend continues tonight when YMP B and GMC Gold meet at 6pm, and YMP B would be favoured.
The YMP side have been the closest to GMC Kowhai in the bottom half of the women’s competition and so should take the points.
At 7.30pm, Te Aowera take the turf against GMC Kowhai.
Te Aowera have battled on in their games this season, but to stay in the contest against Kowhai they will really need to dig deep.
The men own the turf on Saturday afternoon, with the midday match between YMP A and Lytton Old Boys A set to start the programme with a flourish.
LOB have come on in recent weeks and pose a threat to YMP tomorrow.
But the form book would say that YMP should win it, in a close one.
At 1.45pm, Gisborne Boys’ High School take on the Masters.
The students have been up and down for the past month. If they are down tomorrow, Masters may get a sniff at another win.
However, the students need to regather themselves and rekindle some form. Against the Masters, they will get more of an opportunity to do that.
At 3.30pm, THC and LOB B get their turn and the match has a big score written all over it.
THC have been in scintillating form for a while now. They must be favourites to win again tomorrow, and by a healthy score.
The weekend play concludes on Sunday. First up is the match between JNL Paikea and Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School from 1.45pm.
That could be the match of the weekend.
Both teams should recover well from their first matches this weekend, and an even contest is expected.
It is one of those games that is too hard to pick either way.
At 3.30pm, Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa front up to GMC Green to complete the weekend.
Ngatapa will have to be completely “on song” to stay with the Green Machine, who have been building steadily in the past month.