GBHS within minutes of boilover

Body on the line: Lytton Old Boys Oliver Shivnan throws himself at the ball as YMP B's Aera Lloyd contests. LOBs won over a ‘resilient' Gisborne Boys' High team last night 1-0 with the only goal scored in the closing 6 minutes of the game. YMP B play against Waituhi tonight at 6pm. Picture by Paul Rickard

Weekend hockey started with a sensational performance from Gisborne Boys' High School last night when they went within six minutes of a draw with last year's men's champions.

The HPY Advisors Lytton Old Boys side won the game 1-0, but it took them until six minutes from the end to score.

“It was a resilient effort by Boys' High,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“The students certainly had their share of attacking opportunities, especially in the second half, and a penalty corner on fulltime came within a whisker of locking the game up.

“It was the best effort by the students so far this season.”

Scragg said LOB were a couple of key players short, but that did not take anything away from the fine effort of the young high school players.

Tonight's games start at 6pm with Waituhi playing YMP B in the men's competition.

“The solid Waituhi side should pick up the three points, and they should do it fairly easily,” Scragg said.

“That will keep them in the top three in the men's competition.”

The second match on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve tonight, at 7.30pm, pits the LOB Masters against YMP A.

“I'm picking it'll be one-way traffic in favour of the undefeated YMP A team, who will make life very tough for the veterans in the Masters,” Scragg said.

“I hope the Masters enjoyed their week off last weekend because they'll need their energy tonight.”

The Saturday programme will be an all-female affair and starts at 12.30pm with YMP A paying Amber Dental Gisborne Girls' High School.

“YMP A should be too strong in that one,” Scragg said.

“They will be very keen to maintain their second placing on the points table.

“On the other hand, it will be a good game for the students to show where they are at this season.

“It will be a true test for them at both ends of the turf.”

At 2pm, Ngatapa play GMC Kowhai.

“Ngatapa sit in third place on the table and have shown they deserve to be there,” Scragg said.

“I reckon Kowhai will be up against it because the girls from the country will be determined to stay where they are on the table.”

INA Contracting GMC Green and Paikea meet on the turf at 3.30pm.

“For me, it will be the game of the round in terms of skill level,” Scragg said.

“Both teams have what it takes to beat the other, but I suspect the Green Machine will come out firing and maintain a clean, unbeaten sheet to date in the women's competition.”

Te Aowera and Waituhi will go head to head in the final match of the weekend, at 5pm.

“For me that's really the match of the round in terms of equality across the two teams,” Scragg said.

“Both teams sit at the bottom of the table and their line-ups pretty much match each other.

“It should be a really exciting finish to the weekend.”