“Girls’ High showed determination and grit in their fightback, and I think Ngatapa buttoned back a bit when they were two goals up.
“The scoreline could have gone the other way if the students had taken the chances they created for themselves in the third quarter.”
For both teams it was a good start to the competition, Scragg said.
“Teams will be wary of the students and Ngatapa this season.”
Lytton Old Boys (1) dug deep to knock over the new Waituhi men’s team 4-1 in their Covid Cup game.
“It was a very physical match, a bit niggly in patches, from both sides,” Scragg said.
“But it was a good way to start the season for Lytton Old Boys and after the Covid Cup round I would say LOB might be a team to watch.”
The other Lytton Old Boys team scored a 5-2 win against a depleted YMP B.
“That was a good win,” Scragg said.
“YMP were short on numbers, which made it easier, and Lytton Boys took full advantage.”
The season opened with a flood of goals last Thursday night when GMC Green overpowered their GMC Kowhai clubmates 10-0.
“So much for it being a trial game,” Scragg said.
“The Green Machine really took it to their clubmates. They certainly did not hold back, and it illustrates how well the Green team might go this year.
“They made a real statement.”
The YMP women’s team put Waituhi to the sword in their game to open Saturday afternoon’s programme.
The defending champions won 19-0.
“It was a very tough ‘welcome back’ for the Waituhi women,” Scragg said.
“They were just outclassed.”
The game had extra significance for YMP because it was played in memory of a long-time YMP player and supporter, Raewyn Tarawa, who passed away last year.
“Two whanau teams came together to play in honour of one amazing woman,” was how a YMP player put it.
Paikea were too strong for the returning Te Aowera, winning 8-0.
“I’m sure that wasn’t the sort of ‘welcome back into the competition’ that TA were hoping for,” Scragg said.
“But credit to TA; it took Paikea until the second quarter to score their first goal, but then the floodgates opened.
“Paikea were happy with the result, but they did miss other scoring opportunities.”
GMC Green 10 (Caroline Foster 5, Amy Enland 3, Heni Thompson, Charlie Brown) GMC Kowhai 0; Ngatapa 4 (Rose Gavin 2, Jaz Hickling, Briar Hunter) GGHS 2 (Jessie Kapene, Tian Pepere); Waituhi 0 YMP A 19 (Lucy McHugh 7, Courtney Onekawa 4, Hinekahukura Brooking 3, Morgan Tuhou 2, Nancy-Rae Tarawa, Maia Rickard, Madison Savage); Paikea 8 (Jo Cumming 3, Amber Church 2, Bronwyn O’Reilly, Joanne McLean, Laura Matthew) Te Aowera 0.
YMP B 2 (Josh Cousins 2) LOB (2) 5 (Patrick Ferry 2, Wade Manson, Owen Vickers, Matt King); Waituhi 1 (Tamanay Tuhou) LOB (1) 4 (Liam Melville 2, David Melville, Bryce Rickard); YMP A defeated GBHS 5-0 by default.
