Game of season to date in store

Face-off of the season: Waikohu wing-attack Aarika Ruru receives a pass in their match against Whangara Old Girls during the first round of the round robin games. Waikohu and YMP 1 are set to face-off in a top-of-the-table clash at the Y at 7.30pm tonight. Picture by Paul Rickard

The top two teams in Gisborne premier-grade netball clash at the YMCA tonight and, barring a draw, only one of them will still be on top at the end of it.

YMP (1) and Claydens Waikohu (1) have been unbeaten in Round 2 of the Pak'nSave competition and are tied on points at the top of the table.

Tonight's match at 7.30pm promises to be the premier-grade game of the season to date.

It will be the final game in Round 2 for both teams.

When they met at the beginning of May during the grading round, it was a close, highly competitive game that could have gone either way. YMP won by a goal.

Since then, both teams' players have been working together well on attack and defence and pressuring their opposition at every opportunity.

Another close game can be expected this evening, and supporters will be out in full force.

Waikohu coach Cheryl Te Rito expects a hard, tough game tonight . . . “as it always is”.

Te Rito said her team would have to try to shut down the YMP attack and produce a better performance than they did against Gisborne Girls' High School last week.

“We didn't have our flow-on against Girls' High and we need to find it again against YMP,” she said.

“Our aim will be to make the most of our own play and capitalise on what we can get off YMP by way of forced errors.

“The girls are definitely looking forward to it.

“We lost by only one against them last time, and we're going into the match with confidence.

“The girls know it's there for the taking.”

YMP will be confident heading into the match. They have played exceptionally well this season.

Their links through the court have been well settled and their defensive end well organised, and they have a fine shooting machine in Paku-Jane Skudder, who has been right on target.

They will be hard to stop tonight.

In the earlier game, at 6pm, F45 High School Old Girls play Gillies Electrical Gisborne Girls' High School Senior A in a match that starts Round 3 for both teams.

HSOG have won both games against Girls' High this season.

However, they were close and competitive.

The same sort of match can be expected tonight.