Place in grand final at stake

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

IT'S PLAY off time in the senior mens hockey competition this round and a place in the mens’ grand final is at stake in tonight’s top of the table clash between THC and YMP A.

The two most exciting teams in the mens’ competition will take to the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve at 6pm.

The winner goes straight through to the mens final on August 6.

THC go into the match fresh from their comprehensive 7-2 win over YMP A last weekend and no doubt their confidence levels will be high.

However they will need to be careful because while it was YMP’s first loss of the season they played with only 10 men with no bench to draw on.

THC would be well advised to factor that into their mental preparation tonight. A full YMP team and a good bench and the match result may end up a very different picture.

If Tony Scragg were to comment he would probably put it like this - “Too close to call this one.

“The two best men's teams. It could go either way.”

In the other mens match tonight third placed LOB A take on YMP B.

LOB clicked last weekend against Gisborne Boys High School, scored plenty of goals, and should do the same again tonight in their match at 7.30pm.

The extra work LOB A have been doing is obviously working for them.

The other mens play off match this weekend is at 4.30pm Saturday when the LOB Masters take on Gisborne Boys High School.

That will be tightThe Masters won 2-1 last time out between those two teams and the Masters need to stay in the contest again right through to repeat that result.

The womens’ competition rolls along with more round-robin games this round.

YMP B and GMC Gold match up at 6pm tomorrow night.

A draw last time says it all.

Tomorrow night will be more of the same tight stuff.

Te Aowera take on Gisborne Girls High School at 7.30pm and the students should have more than enough firepower to win and win well.

They rattled the back of the net 9 times last time they met TA.

The 1pm match Saturday between YMP A and Paikea should go the way of the unbeaten YMP women but if Paikea get everything right on attack and defend well it could be quite close.

The 2.45pm matchup between Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa and GMC Kowhai would be the game of the round in the womens competition.

Third place in the competition on the line for Ngatapa and they will want to achieve that aim for themselves and their coach.

Kowhai won 3-nil last time out but Ngatapa’s sensational victory over GMC Green last Saturday shows they are building nicely towards the playoffs.

There should be only a goal or two in it either way.