YMP aiming for more glory in round two of Poverty Bay hockey

Ngātapa's Mackenzie Cassie chases Gisborne Girls' High First XI player Klara Pauwels in their Poverty Bay club hockey round-one game at Harry Barker Reserve. They face off again in the opening game of round two at 6pm tonight. Photo / Liam Clayton

YMP ticked the boxes in round one of the Poverty Bay men’s and women’s club hockey... now for round two.

YMP A women finished round one with a perfect record of five wins from five games for 15 points, scoring 28 goals and conceding just one.

They were two points ahead of arch-rivals GMC Green, inflicting the Green Machine’s only loss.

The YMP men were made to work a lot harder to remain unbeaten - last Saturday’s thrilling two-all draw with Gisborne Boys’ High First XI securing the round-one honours with 13 points.

The students were just two points back in second and a goal away from denying YMP the round-one honours.

Round two kicks into action tonight, and while it appears there’ll be a predictable outcome in most games, a couple could be close.

Tonight’s 6pm game on the Hain Farming between PGG Wrightson Ngātapa and Gisborne Girls’ High First XI is potentially one of those, despite Ngātapa winning 6-1 in the first round.

“They are both fairly evenly matched teams defensively, so it will come down to who wants it most on attack and which team can deliver the goals,” Poverty Bay hockey operations manager Louise Teneti said.

“It will come down to experience as well, and Ngātapa have plenty of that.”

In the second game tonight (7.30pm), Lytton Paikea Sports Club’s (LPSC) Traktion men will want to keep the good vibes going after their fighting win last weekend over Waituhi.

They should be too good for YMP B.

“Traktion have surprised a few people this season with their below-par form, but they have been [improving],” Teneti said.

“Injuries and the loss of key players have affected them, but improvement in both those areas has seen them start to lift.”

Saturday play starts with a juicy 12.30pm clash between Waituhi and Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI.

“That sounds like it will be a good game - probably the game of the round this weekend, certainly among the men,” Teneti said.

“There’s talent across the turf in both teams, so again it will come down to who can finish their goal-scoring chances.

“Both teams have talented goalkeepers, so at that end of the turf, it looks set to be a tight game.

“Fitness could be a factor in Boys’ High’s favour. Their coach Wade Manson has had them working hard on it.”

The teams shared the honours two-all when they met in round one.

At 2pm, LPSC Paikea take the turf against YMP A, and the form book says the latter should be too good.

“But YMP may take a while to crack Paikea’s resilience on defence,” Teneti said. “They will need to up the ante against a Paikea side who know how to protect their goal.”

Paikea proved resistant in round one, going down by only 2-0.

The men’s game between LPSC Resene Masters and YMP A from 3.30pm looks set to be one-way traffic.

“The Masters are low on numbers and YMP A will be determined to do better than they did last weekend,” Teneti said.

The weekend play ends with a 5pm women’s derby between GMC Kowhai and GMC Green.

Kowhai can expect no clubmate favours from Green, who dusted them 17-0 in the season-opener.

“Both teams will go out and do their best, but the Green Machine’s form tells us they should win it well,” Teneti said.