A superb second half comeback from a spirited Maungakaramea side has seen them beat Mangapai 5-3 and take out round robin honours in the Northland premier men's hockey competition.
Maungakaramea needed just a draw to finish the competition in first but it was Mangapai who started the game strongly and put a lot of pressure on Maungakaramea's defence to take a 3-1 lead into halftime on Saturday.
Maungakaramea captain Sam Webb said it took a bit of mongrel and a bit of luck, but two quick goals in the third quarter swung the momentum in Maungakaramea's favour, before another two in the last quarter gave them the breathing space they needed.
It was the only premier game on the weekend that would have any bearing on final round robin placings and Maungakaramea showed they have what it takes to win under pressure leading into playoffs starting next week.
In the other premier men's match played on Friday night, Whangārei Boys' High School beat Bream Bay 3-1.