Comeback win to YMP A in Poverty Bay men’s club hockey

Mackenzie Cassie GMC Green's Shannon Williams is watched intently by PGG Ngatapa's Mackenzie Cassie in a Poverty Bay women's club hockey game in May. Williams scored four goals in GMC's 8-0 whitewash of LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Paikea on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

YMP A remain unbeaten in the 2024 Poverty Bay men’s club hockey competition after a comeback 6-4 victory in an intense showdown with Gisborne Boys’ High First XI on Saturday night.

The defending champions were stung by two quick goals from the students in the first quarter on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

An upset looked on the cards, but YMP regrouped, upped the intensity and powered back with six goals - a mixture of teamwork and individual brilliance - to underline their No 1 status as the business end of the season approaches.

GBHS were well down, but far from out, and showed plenty of spirit in the final quarter to score twice and send a signal to YMP that they will need to maintain their high standard.

Both teams turned on an entertaining affair in the wet conditions - 10 goals a testament to that.

Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) Traktion men emerged victorious, 3-2, over Waituhi - the scoreline reflecting a closely contested match.

And like their long-time rivals YMP, LPSC had to come from behind.

Waituhi struck first but LPSC quickly responded with the first of a hat-trick to Zarneo Baker, whose strikes proved the difference.

His stellar performance propelled LPSC to a crucial win, lifting them to second place on the table.

LPSC Resene Masters celebrated their first victory of the 2024 season - 1-0 over arch-rivals YMP B.

The match was played on a soaked turf, with only the middle section being playable.

YMP B dominated the first two quarters but as the turf dried, the Masters found their feet, ultimately securing the decisive goal and victory.

Campion College student Hayden Swann, duelling with Waituhi's Matt Pepere, was among the goalscorers in YMP A's 6-4 win over Gisborne Boys' High School First XI in Poverty Bay men's club hockey on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

YMP A women continued their flawless run this season with a convincing 5-0 victory against PGG Wrightson Ngātapa.

The A-Team came out firing on all cylinders, putting on an attacking clinic in the first half that yielded a flurry of goals.

Leading the goal-scoring charge was Brooke Willock, who bagged a brace to help power her side towards victory.

Ngātapa showed great resilience in the second half. A series of penalty corners put them under intense pressure, but their defence held firm.

Gisborne Denture Centre GMC Green had a resounding 8-0 victory over LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Paikea in a match dominated by the brilliance of Shannon Williams, who stole the show with a four-goal haul.

GMC asserted their control from the outset, navigating the challenging pitch conditions with skill and composure.

Despite the turf becoming hard to play on at the edges, they adapted effectively and were dominant throughout.

Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI enjoyed a 3-0 victory over GMC Kowhai.

The triumph was fuelled by an excellent performance from Chloe Kapene, who scored twice for the students.

Aisha Twigley added the other goal to seal the win.

This victory was testament to the hard work Girls’ High have put in at training over the past few weeks.

While GMC Kowhai fell short, they have shown significant improvement throughout the season.

They will be looking to rewrite the script when the two teams meet again.

The road to Finals Day ramps up this weekend for the men who have split into top four (round-robin) and bottom two.

The women have a third round to finalise the order of teams for positional playoffs.