Six-goal blitz sinks students

THE LOB A match-up with Gisborne Boys’ High was billed as the feature game of the weekend. It turned out to be an easy victory for “the Traders”.

The teams were tied a goal apiece at halftime in their rescheduled Sunday afternoon clash.

“But in the second half, the Traders clicked into a higher gear and rattled in six goals to win it 7-1,” said hockey commentator Tony Scragg.

“In the second half, LOB passed the ball more amongst each other and that opened up the Boys’ High defence.

“Their finishing in that second 35-minute period was outstanding,” Scragg said.

A double (two goals) by Matt Skuse was a feature.

The Paikea-Gisborne Girls’ High game was a contrasting affair, with just one goal separating them — the Pinkies beating GGHS 1-0.

“The students were without coach Henry Mulligan and I understand they lacked direction a bit,” Scragg said.

“For Paikea, the one-nil win is further reinforcement they are top four material this season, and no one will be able to take them lightly.”

YMP A men’s side were all over LOB Masters and scored 12 goals without reply including four to Tony Carpendale and two each to James Torrie and Michael Bond.

“YMP played fantastic wet-style hockey by using a lot of overhead passes to get the ball down the ground faster on the wet turf.

“I think the score could have been higher if it had been dry,” Scragg said.

Courtney Onekawa scored four goals as YMP women whitewashed HSOG 10-0.

Jamie Humphreys bagged a double for Ngatapa women in their 3-0 win over Te Aowera.

The men’s match between YMP B and LOB Development was deferred.

“The turf was just too wet on Saturday night for that game to proceed,” said Scragg. “It was like playing on a wet sponge with that heavy rain.”

Scragg said they could have tried to go ahead but the turf would have been extremely slow.

“If we had still been playing on grass, instead of the new turf, there would have been no hockey at all at the weekend. The turf drains well but that was extremely heavy rain.”