Hockey: Undermanned Mangapai valiant in defeat

Mangapai fell to Parihaka as they were unable to overcome a lack of available players. Photo/Getty Images

It was a gutsy effort from a Mangapai team short of players but they were eventually defeated 2-0 by Parihaka in their reserve A women's hockey match.

Starting the game with the bare 11, Mangapai held their own in the first half and kept Parihaka scoreless and frustrated.

Mangapai coach Julie Pepper said: "In the first half we played defensively very well and marked Parihaka out and although they had quite a few shots at goal they just couldn't get through."

Losing players at halftime of the Friday night game meant Mangapai played the rest of the match short and Parihaka took advantage, scoring two quick goals at the start of the second spell.

Pepper admitted her side panicked at losing two players and told her team after the second goal: "It is the attack we've lost two from - the defence is exactly the same, so calm down and take it easy.

"After that there were no more goals scored, so I was really pleased with the result," Pepper added.

Pepper complimented her entire team.

"It was the best the team has played all season and a number of the players I felt played their personal best which as a coach is really great to see," she said.

In other reserve A women's matches on Friday, Old Girls beat Springfield 3-0 and Hikurangi beat Kamo High School 6-0 while Maungakaramea and Whangarei Girls' High School played out a 0-all draw.

In the reserve men's grade played on Thursday, Maungakaramea beat Bream Bay 5-0 and Hora Hora beat Whangarei Boys' High School 11-0 while Mangapai and Springfield drew 1-all.