Drama to unfold on finals day

WE MEET AGAIN: Nancy-Rae Tarawa, of YMP A, tries to keep the ball away from Louise Teneti, of GMC Green, in women’s hockey action from May. These two sides meet again in the premier women’s final at Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow afternoon. Picture by Paul Rickard

HOCKEY

YMP A should take the premier men’s hockey championship tomorrow afternoon, but titles are up for grabs in the other three finals.

Finals day starts on the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve at 11am tomorrow with the game between GMC Kowhai and GMC Gold to decide the B Grade women’s crown.

Kowhai sailed straight into the final on the back of a 3-0 victory over Gold two weeks ago, and Gold beat Te Aowera last Saturday to join them.

“The confidence of Kowhai will be high going into the game,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“They flew under the radar in the final round of competition before the playoffs, when GMC Gold grabbed all the headlines.

“Kowhai have found the wins when it’s counted — at the business end of the season — and I would expect them to finish it off tomorrow.”

The men’s B final begins at 12.45pm tomorrow with Lytton Old Boys NZ Fruits to play clubmates LOB Masters.

The Fruits have enjoyed substantial late-season form and go in as favourites.

“In the week leading up to finals day tomorrow there has been a fair bit of banter between the two teams, online and in person,” Scragg said.

“What happens on the turf tomorrow will ultimately be the outcome of all the banter.

“The Masters know they are the underdogs tomorrow, but they believe they can retain their title. Results from the past two weeks have shown they can do it.”

The first of the major grand finals, scheduled to start at 2.30pm, pits YMP A against GMC Green for the premier women’s title.

The Green Machine beat YMP twice — 7-1 on one occasion — in round-robin play, only to lose to them 3-2 in the first semifinal.

“This is the match-up of the finals,” Scragg said.

“The pressure maybe goes on YMP now, after they qualified straight through.

“The Green Machine will have benefited from the extra game last weekend.

“Fans will see the cream of the crop in women’s hockey across those two teams in action tomorrow afternoon. It promises to be a special match.

“I feel it’s too close to call.”

The premier men’s final at 4.15pm tomorrow seems the most clear-cut of them all.

Defending champions YMP A have well and truly had the wood on THC through the season.

“YMP are favourites, but THC only have to recall last year’s final to know they are not without a chance of victory,” Scragg said.

It went to a shootout last year after YMP were red-hot favourites.

“I think the battle will be between leading goalscorer Jereme Taylor for YMP and Tamanay Tuhou for THC,” Scragg said.

“If either one of them get a hold of the game, that’s where it will be won.”

• A match between third and fourth placegetters JNL Paikea and Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School at 6pm tonight starts the weekend of finals action.

Paikea won their way through to the semifinals to bow out against GMC Green last Saturday.

They defeated Girls’ High by a single goal in their playoff on August 10, in what was an epic struggle.

More of the same can be expected tonight.

“Girls’ High will use this as a build-up for their tournament,” Scragg said.

“Paikea go into it knowing they have already secured third place.”