THC back on track but LOB show improvement

PROGRESS HALTED: GMC Green’s Jade Stafford (right) blocks the ball as Gisborne Girls’ High School’s Jessie Kapene runs past. Stafford scored a hat-trick and GMC won the match 9-1. Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell

THC got back into the winners’ circle in senior men’s hockey at the weekend, but Lytton Old Boys gave them a reasonable run for the points in a game that could have gone the other way.

A brace of goals to prolific THC striker Tamanay Tuhou featured in the 4-1 scoreline.

“THC were not convincing, but certainly proved they have one eye on the prize,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“The close scoreline was a big turnaround for Lytton Old Boys.

“It shows again that there is a definite gap between YMP A and the other top men’s teams,” Scragg said.

In the best of the women’s matches, YMP A beat Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa, but the 3-0 scoreline was testament to what sort of game Ngatapa played.

“We were pretty happy with the resilience the girls showed,” Ngatapa co-coach Scragg said.

“They defended really well against a good YMP team.”

The second-string teams from YMP and Lytton Old Boys featured in two of the other standout senior men’s matches at the weekend.

LOB B beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 3-2 in a match the students were expected to win.

“The Lytton team have now produced back-to-back wins, and have possibly become hot favourites for the lower half of the men’s competition,” Scragg said.

YMP B beat the Masters 3-1.

“The Masters were 1-0 up for quite a while but in the second half YMP got the goals they needed to win it,” Scragg said.

“It was a good effort by the Masters, but a better effort by YMP.”

GMC Green had plenty of scoring practice against Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School. The 9-1 scoreline included four goals to Anita Howard and a hat-trick to Jade Stafford.

“That result shows clearly why the Green Machine are currently on top of the table,” Scragg said.

“Nine goals against a good Girls’ High team provided a master class for the students.”

Te Aowera produced one of their bravest efforts of the season when they conceded just two goals to the team that has so far dominated the lower half of the women’s grade, GMC Kowhai.

Kowhai won the match 2-0.

“That is a really good effort by TA,” Scragg said.

“Maybe that is the reality check that Kowhai need.”

In the final women’s match of the weekend, YMP B reinforced their potential as serious challengers for the bottom-half title when they knocked over GMC Gold 4-0.

“That result shows how likely it is that YMP and Kowhai will face off for the title.”

Detailed results —Senior men: THC 4 (Tamanay Tuhou 2, Chris Fox, Hylam Tukariri) LOB A 1 (George Whitehead); LOB B 3 (Wade Manson, Oscar Ruston, Cole Manson) GBHS 2 (Kyle Hannah, Harry Allan); YMP B 3 (Andrew Carter, Sean Gooch, Jack Sanders) LOB Masters 1 (Dylan Dyer).

Senior women: YMP A 3 (Mikayla Tamati, Skylah Pohatu, Leigh Akuhata-Brown) Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa 0; GMC Green 9 (Anita Howard 4, Jade Stafford 3, Jess Candy, Kelsey Teneti) Amber Dental GGHS 1 (Ngahuia Wilson); GMC Kowhai 2 (Megan Allen, Christine Popata-Tibble) Te Aowera 0; YMP B 4 (Mel Knight 3, Susan Egan) GMC Gold 0.