Waituhi and Boys’ High eyeing points in Poverty Bay club hockey

YMP sharpshooter Tamanay Tuhou (on the ball) will be a danger man for his defending champion side when they take on LPSC Masters in Poverty Bay club hockey on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

Poverty Bay club hockey resumes at the Hain Farming Turf this weekend and the spotlight will be on the men’s game between Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI and Waituhi.

The two sides go head to head from 12.30pm on Saturday afternoon.

Boys’ High go into the clash second on the table on six points and will be keen to notch three more points to stay in touch with leaders YMP (9pts).

Waituhi, on four points, will also be eager to pick up points.

“I think the students will be too strong for Waituhi,” Poverty Bay Hockey chairman Kohere Tupara said.

“Waituhi will need to somehow find a way to contain Boys’ High striker Ollie Egan, who is having a stellar season, [but] Boys’ High should have too much of everything for their opponents.”

There will be a lot of interest, too, in the 3.30pm women’s match-up between unbeaten GMC Green and Lytton Paikea Sports Club Emerre and Hathaway Insurance Paikea.

The Green Machine own the women’s points table at this stage, perched at the top on nine points.

However, they could be tested tomorrow by the Pinkies, who are equal with Ngatapa on six points but have a superior goal differential.

“Paikea will put up a good fight, but GMC Green are building momentum, and really are going from strength to strength,” Tupara said.

“We can expect to see more of that evolution on the turf Saturday.”

The other matches look set to go the way of form.

PGG Wrightson Ngatapa should be too strong for Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI in their 2pm game.

“I hope Girls’ High can put in a good effort against Ngatapa and make a game of it,” Tupara said. “But Ngatapa are looking in sharp form.”

LPSC Resene Masters men face a daunting prospect in defending champions Laidlaw YMP A at 5pm.

“I think we can expect YMP to be too strong,” Tupara said. “But hopefully the Masters have a full complement of players to choose from.

“They scored three goals against Waituhi last time out, so they definitely are not a team to take lightly.”