Clash of the titans

ACTION ON THE TURF: Kodi Campbell, of YMP, shields the ball from Megan Allen, of GMC Green, in women’s club hockey on the turf at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday. YMP won this match 4-1. Picture by Paul Rickard

HOCKEY

THE YMP women set the bar high on Saturday when they comprehensively defeated defending champions GMC Green in the match of the weekend in senior hockey.

YMP knocked off the “The Green Machine” 4-1 in a strong all-round performance.

“There was nothing in it for the first half and it was end-to-end action, up until YMP scored their first goal, then their second very soon after that,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“Then the match changed, and YMP dominated. They ran away with it in the end.”

Scragg said the result indicated that GMC Green had a bit of work to do.

“It also said that YMP are already a serious threat to win the women’s championship,” he said.

In the other women’s matches, Paikea were too good for GMC Gold, scoring seven times in a one-sided contest.

“It was exactly what Paikea were looking for,” Scragg said.

“It gives them a really good confidence boost for the weeks ahead.”

Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School were too good for Waituhi, beating them 5-1.

“Girls’ High keep on their winning way,” Scragg said.

“But credit to Waituhi, who kept the school team at bay in the final quarter, after the students had dominated earlier.

“Waituhi really held them well in the second half and they will take heart from that in what was only their second ever match on the turf,” Scragg said.

Ngatapa and GMC Kowhai fought out the other close women’s contest of the weekend, and it went right down to the wire, before ending in a 1-1 draw.

“Ngatapa led early, in the first quarter, but could not capitalise on opportunities they had to go further ahead,” Scragg said.

“Then a late fourth-quarter goal to Shelley Waide locked the match up.”

Ngatapa dominated the last quarter.

“But credit to Emma Seymour, fullback for Kowhai. Her defence was superb.”

The decision by YMP in the men’s competition to even up their two teams has paid off handsomely for the competition already.

Both the new-look A and B teams won at the weekend but in very close contests.

On Friday night, YMP firsts defeated the LOB Masters 2-1.

“It’s fantastic that the evening up of the YMP teams has created such an even competition.

“By all accounts if the Masters had been able to play an extra few minutes it would have been locked up,” Scragg said.

YMP (2) beat Gisborne Boys’ High School by a goal — 4-3.

“YMP had a 4-1 lead in the match, and it looked like the students were down and out.

“But they fought back and finished strongly. Like the Masters, if they’d had had a few more minutes they would have equalised as well.”