Top two to face off in Poverty Bay men’s club hockey in Gisborne

LPSC Lytton Old Boys Traktion's Anthony Boyder, in the process of taking a shot in front of Waituhi's Carlos Babbington, scored a hat-trick on the opening day of the Poverty Bay club hockey competition. His side face arch-rivals YMP A in week-three games on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

The two men’s teams setting the early pace meet in Poverty Bay club hockey on a Saturday when teams will be eagerly hunting for points over four games.

The third batch of matches in round one of the competition has potential for some interesting results.

The feature of those could be the 5pm men’s match-up between unbeaten Laidlaw YMP A and Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) LOB Traktion.

Defending champions YMP A are sitting in familiar territory at the top of the table after two games, on the maximum six points, with Traktion behind them on four, from a win and a draw.

“I think it will be another good game,” Poverty Bay Hockey Association chairman Kohere Tupara said.

“Traktion are looking sharp and had a really intense game last week in their tough draw [2-2] with Waituhi.

“Both teams will be looking for a win and their rivalry is well-established.”

The Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI clash with LPSC Resene Masters at 3.30pm should see the students bank their first points of the season after a bye on the opening Saturday and a 5-3 loss to YMP A last weekend.

Based on how they played against YMP A, Gisborne Boys’ look set to chalk up a solid win.

“GBHS should win, but the Masters are skilled and experienced enough to make them work for it,” Tupara said.

“Boys’ High will need to use their speed and fitness.”

Waituhi have the bye in the men’s competition.

The first of the two women’s games on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve is at 12.30pm, when Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI face the daunting prospect of reigning champions GMC Green.

The Green Machine were restricted to four goals in their opening game against clubmates GMC Kōwhai, whose staunch defence kept the scoreline from blowing out.

“GMC Green should take it,” Tupara said. “They will be wanting to put a stamp on the competition early on, but I hope Girls’ High can find the sort of form we saw from them last year.

“They are only a young team and they will improve,” he said of the students, who were beaten 6-1 by Paikea last weekend.

LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Paikea play GMC Kōwhai in a 2pm encounter.

Paikea go into it with three points in the bank and will be hungry to make it six.

“I think this will be the game of the day,” Tupara said. “Kōwhai had a really good game against Ngātapa last week, losing only 2-1.

“Compare that to Paikea’s 3-0 loss to Ngātapa [in week one] and it’s fair to say Kōwhai can be in the game and win it if they play well.”