YMP v Gisborne Boys’ High game of the weekend in Poverty Bay club hockey

Gisborne Boys' High goalkeeper Francois Louw goes low to try to stop a Napier Boys' High player scoring in a penalty shootout at the Super 8 hockey tournament in Palmerston North this week. Gisborne won 4-3 after the playoff for seventh and eighth ended 2-all after regular time. Gisborne are back in action on Saturday in a Poverty Bay men's hockey game against top-of-the-table YMP. Photo / Bonnie Easterbrook

It’s top-of-the-table tussle in Poverty Bay men’s club hockey on Saturday when leaders YMP A take on a Gisborne Boys’ High First XI fresh from a rare win at their annual Super 8 tournament.

The men start proceedings at 12.30pm on Saturday with Waituhi up against Lytton Paikea Sports Club LOB Traktion.

“This should be a tightly contested game,” Poverty Bay Hockey chairman Kohere Tupara said.

“Traktion will go in as favourites, but they will be wary of a Waituhi team who are capable of an upset.”

That encounter will usher in a potentially dramatic clash between defending champions Laidlaw YMP and Boys’ High at 2pm.

YMP won their round 2 game 7-2 but it was against a depleted Boys’ High line-up during school holidays.

“This will be the game of the weekend for sure,” Tupara said.

“Both teams will want a strong last match before their likely meeting in the Premier men’s grand final.

“The students will use their speed and fitness to try to get on top, whereas YMP will be looking to use their flair and experience.”

The students will go into the game a bit weary after a tough week at the Super 8 secondary schools tournament in Palmerston North.

They played five games in three days, but finished the tournament on a high with a penalty-shootout victory over Napier Boys’ High in the playoff for seventh and eighth – Gisborne’s first win at the tournament in many years.

“They are a tired team, but they are keen and eager for the weekend against YMP,” GBHS coach Wade Manson said.

The women hit the Hain Farming Turf after that with PGG Wrightson Ngatapa in action against Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI at 3.30pm.

“Ngatapa will look to continue their dominance over Girls’ High this season,” Tupara said (7-2 in round 1; 4-0 in round 2).

“Girls’ High have improved each time the two sides have met and will want to keep that going. But Ngatapa should be too much for them.”

GMC Green and LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Insurance Paikea finish the day’s play from 5pm.

“Paikea will want to improve on the result from the last time they played the Green Machine – they lost 6-nil that time,” Tupara said. “The girls in pink will need to contain the skilful GMC midfield to stay in it.”

Two women’s games were held on Thursday night – Ngatapa v Paikea and Girls’ High v GMC Kowhai. Results to follow.

The points table going into the men’s games has YMP on top on 15 points, with Gisborne Boys’ High on nine, Traktion on nine, Waituhi three and Masters zero.

Heading into Thursday’s clashes, GMC Green led the women on 15, from Paikea 10, Ngatapa seven, Kowhai one and Girls’ High one.