YMP teams sitting pretty in Poverty Bay club hockey

Gisborne Boys' High School First XI had a 10-2 victory over LPSC Resene Masters in Poverty Bay club hockey on Saturday and the star of the show was Ollie Egan (pictured playing against Napier Boys' High School), who scored seven goals. Photo / Liam Clayton

YMP A men maintained their perfect record and position at the top of the Poverty Bay club hockey points table with a 4-0 victory over traditional rivals Lytton Paikea Sports Club Traktion at the weekend.

YMP bagged two goals in the first half and after a determined defensive surge in the second half by Traktion, two late goals saw YMP comfortably home on the Hain Farming Turf at Harry Barker Reserve.

Despite the scoreline, Traktion they would have been happy with what was a much-improved performance.

Waituhi leapfrogged Traktion into third spot on the table with a comprehensive 9-0 victory over YMP B.

The score probably should have been much higher as Waituhi had a wealth of opportunities in the circle.

YMP B will be happy to have another top side out of the way and will be looking forward to their battle with Lytton Paikea Sports Club Resene Masters, as both sides are stuck on zero points.

Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI shot out of the gate quickly with two goals in the first three minutes to have the Masters on the back foot early.

Back-to-back goals to Master blaster Dave Melville shook the students a little and lifted the confidence of their predominantly older opponents.

But the youth, fitness and speed of the school side came to the fore, and they emerged 10-2 victors to consolidate their second placing on the table as they continue to play impressive hockey.

Ollie Egan, in particular, proved a nightmare for the Masters defence as he hit the backboard or net seven times and displayed some sublime stick skills.

In women’s games, PGG Wrightson Ngatapa secured a third win for the season with a 4-0 defeat of Lytton Paikea Sports Club Emerre & Hathaway Paikea.

These sides have often had some great battles but Ngātapa were too strong on this occasion and continue to make a statement that they are a side to watch this year.

Reigning champions GMC Green made light work of Gisborne Girls’ High School First XI.

Their 11-1 win underlined a formidable attack which has yielded 36 goals in their opening four games.

While well beaten, Girls’ High coach Henry Mulligan would have been pleased to see his girls find the net after several missed opportunities in the past few weeks. To get a goal against the Green Machine is no easy feat.

YMP A women made it four from four and remain the sole outright leaders with a 7-0 whitewash of GMC Kowhai.

YMP used the opportunity to field some younger talent and give them exposure to senior hockey.

Kowhai would have been happy to keep one of the most potent attacking teams below the double-figure mark.

YMP A lead the women’s standings with 12 points, having scored 22 goals and conceded just one.

GMC Green are second on nine points - losing to YMP A 3-1 in week 2 - but have amassed 36 goals in a differential of 31, thanks largely to their 17-0 whitewash of clubmates GMC Kowhai in the opening weekend.

Ngātapa are third on nine points (differential of 6), followed by Paikea on six (-2), Girls’ High on no points (-26) and Kowhai on no points (-30), and still searching for their first goal of the season.

YMP A men have 12 points and have conceded only one goal while scoring 28. Gisborne Boys’ High are on 10 points with a differntial of 17, Waituhi are on seven (10), Traktion six (-1), the Masters zero (-25) and YMP B zero (-28).