YMP turn the tables on GMC in Gisborne hockey

YMP A's Maia Rickard tries to go between GMC Green players Julia Edwards (left) and Hemi-Kamaia Thompson in last year's Poverty Bay premier women's hockey final. GMC won this one but YMP A turned the tables when they met again at the weekend in week 2 of the 2024 season. Photo / Paul Rickard

YMP A women signalled their Poverty Bay women’s club hockey title-regaining intentions with a 3-1 win over arch-rivals GMC Green at the weekend.

The replay of last year’s premier grand final produced a reversal result as YMP downed the reigning champions on the Hain Farming turf at Harry Barker Reserve,

YMP A’s attack led the way and at 3-0 late into the last quarter it looked like a whitewash was on the cards only for GMC Green to score.

Gisborne Boys’ High School First XI made a statement to the other men’s sides in their 1-0 victory over Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) Trakition.

The scoreline did not reflect the students’ dominance which featured a multitude of penalty corners but only one goal - to Ollie Egan in the third quarter.

“It was an ugly win, as we had plenty of possession, but we couldn’t capitalise on it,” GBHS coach Wade Manson said.

Traktion applied pressure late in the last quarter but the students, down to nine men after green cards minutes out from fulltime, held them out.

LPSC Emerre and Hathaway Paikea grabbed their first win of the season and three vital competition points with a 2-1 victory over Gisborne Girls’ High First XI.

A much-improved Girls’ High effort from the opening weekend made Paikea work for the win but it could easily have been a draw.

PGG Wrightson Ngatapa women made it a second consecutive win - 3-0 victory over GMC Kowhai.

Credit, though, had to go to Kowhai’s goalkeeper Tracey Bryon-Kay, who did brilliantly to restrict Ngātapa to three goals.

Ngātapa, with many players returning from maternity breaks, are still finding combinations, but the early signs look great for the country club women.

As expected, reigning men’s champion YMP A made light work of YMP B.

An impressive 10-0 victory - their second double-figures display - has them top of the table early into the competition.

Having been in total control of both games so far, the YMP A defence will look forward to more of a workout this weekend against Waituhi.

Waituhi had a 4-1 victory over LPSC Resene Masters on a cold, damp Friday night.

The win, along with last week’s draw with GBHS, has them second on the men’s table on the same points as the students, but with a better goal differential.

The Masters will be happy to have scored their first goal of the season - by Duncan Pierce - and keeping the Waituhi attack at bay for a good portion of the game.