GMC Green rebound to beat Paikea

UP IN THE AIR: Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Flynn Cave (right) adjusts to try to play the ball, which has taken to the air, while Heath Tupara, of YMP (1), waits to see where it lands. Boys’ High won this men’s hockey game 6-4. Picture by Paul Rickard

HOCKEY

THE Green Machine rebounded from their recent draw with Paikea with a strong win against the same opponents in women’s hockey on Saturday.

A fortnight ago GMC Green and Paikea fought out a tough 4-4 draw.

On Saturday, GMC won their top-four clash against Paikea 4-1. Jade Stafford, twice, Caroline Maclaurin and Shannon Williams were the scorers.

“Paikea got off to the best start they could with a goal, and a good tussle looked likely,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“But it just goes to show the Green Machine can lift a gear or two when it comes to the business end of the season.

“They dominated the rest of the game.”

In the first round of the women’s bottom-four competition, Ngatapa were pushed hard by GMC Gold before the country girls ran out 2-0 winners.

“It was a good effort from GMC Gold to peg back last week’s heavy 8-0 loss to Ngatapa,” Scragg said.

“It took the Ngatapa girls a fair while to gain the advantage.”

Waituhi made another strong statement in their 1-0 victory over GMC Kowhai.

“It was fantastic to see Waituhi pick up a win to start their bottom-four campaign, and I think it sets us up for a very interesting competition for those four teams,” Scragg said.

Gisborne Boys’ High School produced an excellent result when they knocked over YMP (1).

The match was a real entertainer with 10 goals and much of the play end to end, before the students wrapped it up 6-4.

Highlights were hat-tricks to Boys’ High’s Ollie Cranfield and YMP’s Jarrod Carter.

“Jarrod got YMP out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, and it looked like it might turn out to be one-way traffic,” Scragg said.

“But Boys’ High coach Hanoa Morete must have said some wise words to his lads at halftime, and they produced probably the best second half of their season so far,” Scragg said.

In the other men’s match, Lytton Old Boys NZ Fruits defeated LOB Masters 3-0 after they had drawn last time out.

“The Fruits side had only one option, and that was to win,” Scragg said.

“They played some fantastic hockey. But credit to the Masters, they stuck at it until the end to keep the scoreline respectable.”

Detailed results —

Women, top four: YMP v Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School — game deferred; GMC Green 4 (Jade Stafford 2, Caroline Maclaurin, Shannon Williams) Paikea 1 (Jo Cumming).

Bottom four: Ngatapa 2 (Elise Levy, Hannah Wallbank) GMC Gold 0; Waituhi 1 (Kristi Brown) GMC Kowhai 0.

Men: Gisborne Boys’ High School 6 (Ollie Cranfield 3, Harry Allan 2, Lachie Falloon) YMP (1) 4 (Jarrod Carter 3, Jason Akuhata-Brown); Lytton Old Boys NZ Fruits 3 (Wade Manson, Ethan Rogers, Derek Watson) LOB Masters 0.