Top-four spot on the line tonight

AT A STRETCH: YMP’s Maia Rickard (left) and Kate Pahina, of Ngatapa, stretch for the ball in a women’s club hockey game at the Harry Barker Reserve last month. YMP are expected to come through as first-round winners after this week’s games. They play Te Aowera on Saturday. Ngatapa play GMC Green that afternoon. Picture by Paul Rickard

HOCKEY

THE best may come first in the hockey competition this week with a tight contest predicted to open the round when Paikea meet Gisborne Girls’ High School tonight.

These two teams take the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve at 6.30pm tonight.

“The winner this evening should go through to the top four in the women’s competition,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“Amber Dental Girls’ High have a one-goal differential advantage over Paikea, so a draw tonight would see the students go through.

“So the onus is very much on Paikea. It’s all or nothing for the women in pink.”

Friday night hockey features Waituhi against GMC Kowhai in the women’s competition at 6pm tomorrow night, and the Waituhi men against LOB Masters at 7.30pm.

“That could be another of the feature matches this weekend,” Scragg said.

“It should be a really close battle between two evenly matched teams.

“Kowhai would go in as the slight favourites.

“In the second game tomorrow night, the Waituhi men will want to bounce back from their loss to Gisborne Boys’ High School last weekend, and the Masters could be on the receiving end.

“They will have to defend really well to stay in the game.

On Saturday afternoon the action kicks off with a litmus test for Gisborne Boys’ High as they front up to the in-form YMP A side.

“The students’ confidence will be high from their result against Waituhi last weekend,” Scragg said.

“But this game will really test what Boys’ High are made of.”

The game starts at 12.30pm.

At 2pm on Saturday, YMP B meet Lytton Old Boys NZ Fruits.

“The Fruits should dominate that game,” Scragg said.

“The LOB side will look for back-to-back victories and aim to work on their combinations.”

The 3.30pm women’s game between GMC Green and Ngatapa poses a major test for Ngatapa’s aspirations in the top four.

“Ngatapa have made the top bracket already but this game could define where they might finish,” Scragg said.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the Ngatapa women rise to the challenge, because the Green Machine will be a force to be reckoned with.”

The round ends at 5pm when Te Aowera and YMP take the turf.

“I expect this could be one-way traffic but TA will get their heads up and fight hard.

“This will finish the women’s first round and I expect we will see YMP come through as the first-round winners.”