‘Close encounter’ of hockey kind predicted in Poverty Bay club comp

Gisborne Girls' High First XI player Taylor Carrington runs between GMC Kowhai's Jo Sim (left) and Jo Foster in a Poverty Bay women's club hockey game. The students face Ngātapa tonight in the opening game of the weekend. Photo / Paul Rickard

Gisborne Boys’ High and LPSC Traktion and Gisborne Girls’ High and Ngātapa get the Poverty Bay club hockey ball rolling tonight on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

The match between GGHS First XI and PGG Wrightson Ngātapa at 6pm has “close encounter” written all over it.

“Ngātapa of late have slipped into a bit of a slump in form and that’s something the Girls’ High team could take advantage of tonight,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“If the students can bring their top game, there could be a bit of an upset on the cards.”

The 7.30pm game between Boys’ High First XI and Lytton Paikea Sports Club Traktion has the potential “X-factor”, too.

A top-two finish in the men’s top four (round-robin) is on the cards for both teams, so they have a lot to play for.

“Boys High will go in as favourites,” Scragg said. “But they have had a win each in the previous games (Traktion won 3-0 in their second match-up), so it could go either way.

“It’s an important game for the students, who must win and score well to retain their position on the table.”

GBHS and YMP A won their opening games of the top-four round-robin last weekend but the students are top of the standings on differential.

Tomorrow’s programme starts with Waituhi and YMP A men in action at 12.30pm.

“The YMP A men should be too strong and will want to regain their top position in the top four,” Scragg said.

“YMP need the win, too, and will have goal differential on their minds.”

At 2pm, LPSC Resene Masters resume their hard-fought series against YMP B men.

“The Masters go into it on the back of that very good five-nil win over YMP B last weekend (a result overturned due to a team card indiscretion).

“They will want to keep that momentum going.”

The 3.30pm match-up tomorrow sees GMC Kowhai up against clubmates and reigning champions GMC Green.

“The Green Machine all the way,” Scragg said. “They will be too strong for their opponents.”

The day ends with LPSC Paikea taking on the unbeaten YMP A.

“YMP A will keep themselves unbeaten,” Scragg said. “Paikea have had some great fortune in the past couple of weeks, but they will have to play out of their skins to get any points out of tomorrow’s game.”