Form best guide to fortunes

Tough going: Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Kingi Ormond gets his pass away despite the attentions of THC’s Henry Mohi in men’s senior hockey on the LJ Hooker Turf at the Harry Barker Reserve. Boys’ High lost this match and they have another tough assignment tonight, against YMP A. Picture by Liam Clayton

THE form teams look likely to sweep the turf in the weekend series of senior hockey matches on the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

The senior men get the ball rolling at 6pm tonight, when Gisborne Boys’ High School take on YMP A.

“It is fair to expect that YMP A will walk away with it tonight,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“They are playing really good hockey.

“The students will still be smarting from last week’s demolition by THC, and hopefully they will come out firing.

“But YMP will have their full complement of players tonight, to show the students respect.”

In tonight’s second match, at 7.30pm, Lytton Old Boys A meet their B team.

“LOB A have certainly turned their season round,” Scragg said.

“The B team’s loss to YMP B last weekend will still be in the back of their minds, and they will want to make up for it. But it is hard to see them being able to beat the club’s top team.”

The senior women own the turf from midday tomorrow, when YMP A start the programme with their game against Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School.

“It was close last time they met, but Girls’ High will have to start better than they did last weekend against GMC Green to stand any chance,” Scragg said.

“YMP A have been in terrific form and I am sure we will see that form continue.

At 1.45pm, GMC Green play JNL Paikea.

“It should be a good tussle, but the Green Machine showed signs last weekend that they are becoming a team to watch more closely.

“They are the only team that could seriously threaten YMP A at the business end of the season,” he said.

The match at 3.30pm between GMC Kowhai and GMC Gold should belong to Kowhai.

“Gold’s loss to Te Aowera last weekend was unexpected and it shows that Gold are a bit fragile at present,” Scragg said.

“I expect to see Kowhai take full advantage of that.”

The 5.15pm game between YMP B and Te Aowera follows.

“That could be the match of the weekend,” Scragg said.

“The way TA played last weekend says they are a team on the move and not to be taken lightly.”

In the final senior men’s match of the weekend, at 7pm, YMP B go up against the dynamic THC.

“One-way traffic for THC, I suspect,” Scragg said.

“But YMP B have been the fast improvers of the men’s competition and they will make THC work hard for the three points.”

LOB Masters and Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa have byes this weekend.