First win back for Waituhi

TENSE HOCKEY: GMC Gold goalkeeper Claudine Tuhou (centre) gets her stick to the ball in goalmouth action during the game against Waituhi on Saturday. Heather Arnold (left) is on the goal-line covering her goalkeeper, while Marlene Nikora of Waituhi looks to latch on to any rebound. Waituhi won this game 2-1. Picture by Paul Rickard

Waituhi delighted their fans on Saturday when they recorded their first win in the Poverty Bay women's hockey competition on the turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

They returned to the competition this season for the first time since the new turf pitch was created, and their supporters were ecstatic about their 2-1 victory over GMC Gold.

“The team and their supporters were over the moon to win,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

Waituhi led 1-0 at halftime but GMC Gold equalised soon after the break.

“Waituhi scored the winning goal in the last quarter of the match and held firm in defence to take it out,” Scragg said.

There was plenty of vocal support from the sideline for them.

Paikea and GMC Kowhai opened the weekend's round on Friday night and produced a tight match that Paikea won 3-2.

“They took an early lead, and dominated possession, but then Kowhai mounted a stunning comeback in the second half to close it up,” Scragg said.

“In the end, though, Paikea took a deserved win and three much-needed points.”

The men's matches came next on Saturday and YMP (1) had to fight hard for their 5-3 win against Gisborne Boys' High School.

“The students were up 3-2 at one stage, but in the final quarter YMP got the lead back, then scored their fifth goal right at the end,” Scragg said.

“Boys' High goalkeeper Jaime Walker made some brilliant saves.”

LOB Masters and LOB NZ Fruits had a real arm wrestle in their 2-2 draw.

“The Fruits led 2-0 early on and looked to be cruising to a good victory, but as we've seen from the Masters in recent years, they don't lie down” Scragg said.

“They came back into it to level the scores.”

The women saw out the rest of the Saturday programme and YMP beat Ngatapa 4-0.

“That was a pretty good result for Ngatapa,” Scragg said.

“They held the very strong YMP to a goal in each quarter.

“YMP always looked in control but, to their credit, Ngatapa defended well,” Scragg said.

In the final match of the weekend, Gisborne Girls' High and GMC Green shared the honours in a 3-3 draw.

“We're getting lots of close games this season, and this was a very even match,” Scragg said.

“Girls' High led 3-2 near the end before the Green Machine scored the equaliser.

“Great credit to the students.

“They are going to be a dark-horse team in the women's competition this year.”

Paikea 3 (Joanne McLean, Taimania Clark, Lisa Gill) GMC Kowhai 2 (Jordan Hocquard, Emma Seymour); Waituhi 2 (Leith Seymour, Marlene Nikora) GMC Gold 1 (Kristina Hohepa); YMP 4 (Phoebe Bint, Courtney Onekawa, Nancy-Rae Tarawa, Kimberly Waititi) Ngatapa 0; GMC Green 3 (Lee-Ana Fleming, Caroline Maclaurin, Kelsey Teneti) Amber Dental Gisborne Girls' High School 3 (Tiari Pepere, Heni-Kamaia Thompson, Jayha Egan).

YMP (1) 5 (Michael Bond 2, Jarred Carter, Jereme Taylor, Jason Akuhata-Brown) Gisborne Boys' High School 3 (Harry Allen 3); Lob Masters 2 (Jayden McKay, Liam Melville) LOB NZ Fruits 2 (Cole Manson, Oliver Shivnan).