Solid and runaway victories,Boys’ High and LOB A results indicate strengths

CLEAN STRIKE: GMC Gold’s Jonette Rudge in action against Gisborne Girls’ High School in women’s hockey on Saturday. Girls’ High won 3-1. Picture by Liam Clayton

A SOLID victory to Gisborne Boys’ High School and a runaway win to Lytton Old Boys A were highlights of Poverty Bay men’s club hockey at the weekend.

In the women’s games, the top teams won well but the highlight was GMC Kowhai’s win against YMP B.

The 5-0 win Boys’ High racked up against NZ Fruits LOB B was a fitting finale to “Super Saturday: on the LJ Hooker Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

Kyle Hannah scored a brace and the rest of the goals were shared around.

“Kyle is playing some really good hockey,” Boys’ High coach Stu Hockey said. “He has come a long way in just his second year playing.

“The team are starting to gel. We are happy with where we are, with the Super 8 just round the corner.”

In one of the other feature games, GMC Kowhai beat YMP B 3-0.

“The girls are playing well,” Kowhai manager Ngaio Haenga said.

“They are just starting to peak at the right time.

“Striker Megan Allen scored one of the goals and was one of our standout players.

“Megan’s one of our more experienced players and she is leading the team, particularly the schoolgirls, by example.”

LOB A beat the Masters 17-0. George Searle scored a hat-trick and five others scored twice.

The scoreline showed how well the top LOB team have got their game structured, particularly on attack.

Brendon Lennane and Heath Tupara both picked up hat-tricks in the YMP A men’s team’s 12-2 win against their B team.

It was pretty much one-way traffic. The A team were simply too strong.

In women’s play, Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa felt the anticipated backlash from YMP A after their loss to GMC Green.

But the 7-0 result was not a reflection of how well Ngatapa defended for much of the game.

YMP scored three goals in the first five minutes but only one goal in the second half.

Ngatapa coach Tony Scragg praised his team’s second-half defensive effort.

Paikea were well beaten, 6-1, in the end by GMC Green but with the score 2-1 at halftime, Paikea had their moments.

“At the moment the Green Machine are the form team in the women’s competition, and I think they will be very hard to beat from here,” Scragg said.

Williams Transport Gisborne Girls’ High School had a good 3-1 win against GMC Gold.

“It was a pretty slow game by our standards,” Girls’ High manager Jan Clarke said.

“It was good to get the win but the team did not really seem to spark.

“Hopefully the girls will be more fired up on Thursday night when they take on GMC Kowhai.”

Results — Men: Gisborne Boys’ High School 5 (Kyle Hannah 2, Brett Hockey, Ethan Hannah, Luke Whibley) NZ Fruits LOB 0.

LOB A 17 (George Searle 3, We Hampton 2, Jayden McKay 2, Neal Ebbett 2, George Whitehead 2, Lachlan Vause 2, John Hockey, Shea Hooper, Alex Mayhead, Ethan Rogers) LOB Masters 0.

YMP A 12 (Brendon Lennane 3, Heath Tupara 3, Kohere Tupara 2, Jarrod Carter 2, Andrew Carter, Andy Church) YMP B 2 (scorers unavailable).

Women: GMC Kowhai 3 (Megan Allen, Shelley Waide, Anahera Whaanga-Smith) YMP B 0.

Williams Transport Gisborne Girls’ High School 3 (Oaklea Bowden-Morris 2, Monica Harnett) GMC Gold 1 (Heather Arnold).

GMC Green 6 (Kelsey Teneti 3, Jade Stafford 2, Amy England) JNL Paikea 1 (Joanne Cumming).

YMP A 7 (Courtney Onekawa 4, Morgan Tuhou 2, Mikaylah Tamati) Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa 0.