Unbeaten YMP and Gisborne Boys’ High shine in the rain in Poverty Bay club hockey

YMP B's Dave Mackey (left) and LPSC Resene Masters player Brad Buchan contest the ball from a penalty corner in a hard-fought Poverty Bay men's club hockey clash between the two sides last weekend. The match ended two-all. Photo / Tony Scragg

YMP A and Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI delivered again in Poverty Bay club hockey when they turned on one of the games of the round.

Their Friday night clash, played at times in teeming rain, ended in a 4-2 win to YMP A on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

Once YMP got in front, they stayed there, but the students fought hard and were rewarded with a couple of good goals.

As they have shown all season in their unbeaten 2024 streak, defending champions YMP know how to close it out, and the win confirmed their number-one seeding for the top-four semifinals.

Two other top-four men’s games were played over the weekend.

Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) Traktion defeated Waituhi 2-1 on Saturday and were back on the turf the following day to play GBHS in a catch-up game.

“It took both sides a while to click into gear, but once Traktion got the lead, they defended stoutly against a resurgent Waituhi and managed to hold them out,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

The Sunday match was a dress rehearsal for the 1v4, 2v3 semifinals and Boys’ High won it 4-2, including a hat-trick to John Broad.

Saturday’s other men’s match was another in the “State of Origin” series between LPSC Resene Masters and YMP B. And there was no separating them - the honours shared two-all.

In women’s games, Gisborne Girls’ High First XI had reason to celebrate after defeating LPSC Paikea 3-2.

“It was locked up at two-all in the dying stages when Girls’ High slotted the winner in a result that I think shocked Paikea,” Scragg said.

Gisborne Denture Clinic GMC Green were convincing 5-0 victors over PGG Wrightson Ngātapa.

“No surprise ... it was another strong performance from the Green Machine against a Ngātapa side who fought hard.”

YMP A remain at the top of the women’s table after an 8-0 whitewash of GMC Kōwhai on Friday.

Kōwhai were all smiles after the game, having kept it under double figures and nearly scoring themselves.

This week features the men’s sudden-death semifinals, and the last games of round three for the women.