YMP outgun arch-rivals GMC Green in Poverty Bay club hockey

He shoots, he scores! YMP A's Tamany Tuhou belts home one of his side's eight goals in a win over Waituhi in a Poverty Bay men's club hockey game on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

YMP women’s Poverty Bay club hockey slate remains clean for 2024 after a 4-1 victory over arch-rivals GMC Green in a top-of-the-table clash last Thursday.

Their men’s team are also unbeaten on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve, courtesy of a surprisingly big 8-1 win over Waituhi at the weekend.

YMP A women were in full control of the match and it took a late surge by defending champions Gisborne Denture Clinic GMC Green, which resulted in a goal, to prevent a whitewash.

It was too little, too late as YMP continue to set the benchmark in the women’s competition.

Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) Emerre and Hathaway Paikea consolidated their fourth spot on the table with a hard-fought but ultimately comfortable 3-0 win over GMC Kowhai.

Once Paikea scored their first goal, they never not look like being challenged in defence by the Kowhai side.

Outstanding goalkeeping from Tracey Bryon-Kay kept the difference to three goals. It would have been double that but for her heroic efforts.

The Gisborne Boys’ High First XI claimed the three points against a YMP B men’s side struggling to get playing numbers.

YMP defaulted but in the spirit of the game on a cold Friday night, the students gave them a goalkeeper and a couple of other players – including captain William Matthews – and they made a great game of it, reflected in the final scoreline – 1-1.

That was the “unofficial” score in a game in which both Boys’ High goalkeepers got the opportunity to be on the turf and keep the goals at bay.

The YMP A-Waituhi clash was close early on but the floodgates opened in the second half.

Other men’s sides would have watched in awe as they try to work out how to defeat the reigning champions. The only blemish for the YMP A side this season is a draw with Gisborne Boys’ High.

Mine... yours! Waituhi's Kayden Brown (left) and YMP A's Zane Tuhou duel for the ball in mid-air. Photo / Paul Rickard

LPSC Traktion and LPSC Resene Masters squared off in a 3pm game on Saturday. What would normally be an easy win for Traktion proved a lot tougher as the Masters made their clubmates work hard for three vital points.

The teams were locked 1-1 at one stage before Masters came through to win 4-1 – a workout that could be important with some key matches coming up.

YMP A and GMC Green women were back in action two days after their Thursday clash and the Green Machine were pushed all the way by a gallant PGG Wrightson Ngātapa side.

Ngātapa came out strong and stung GMC when they went in front – much to the delight of their supporters.

GMC then locked it up, only for Ngātapa to strike again for a 2-1 lead.

Shannon Williams, however, was to prove the difference on the scoresheet.

She scored a hat-trick as GMC got home 3-2 against a Ngātapa team who will have made the top women’s sides take notice.

YMP A kept on their winning ways with an 8-1 win over the Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI.

As the best attacking team in the competition, YMP are hard to contain at any time.

Credit to Gisborne Girls’ for scoring only the fifth goal YMP have conceded this year – reward for the students’ grit and determination.