By TERRY MADDAFORD
Provided his team's discipline comes good, Midland Express coach Gene Reid is confident his young side can upset National League pacesetters North Harbour in Hamilton tomorrow.
"I thought we were unlucky not to get all three points against Canterbury," said Reid.
"We had two players sent off at the
same time, then had two strokes awarded against us.
"I rate ourselves as equal to North Harbour without their reputations. We are not rated, and from what I have seen on the video of their game last week I was not that impressed."
There will be some family rivalry, as North Harbour's Lloyd Stephenson is up against his younger brother, Nick, in a team managed by their mother, Julie.
Victory would continue North Harbour's early-season lead in the Lion Foundation National League.
Harbour coach Bill Webb is likely to put out the same starting line-up as the one that battled in the first half against Auckland but played perhaps their best hockey of the season in the second 35 minutes.
In the key game of the round, Wellington, at home for the third time in as many weeks, meet Canterbury.
Auckland are away to Northland for a game in which the northerners will be chasing their first point of the season.
The international-stacked Auckland side managed only one goal against North Harbour but could find the Northland defence, who have conceded eight goals in two outings, an easier proposition.
The Auckland women were made to work for maximum points in beating Wellington 2-1 last week, and will find a fired-up Manawatu no easier in Palmerston North tomorrow.
Anna Lawrence remains the spearhead of Auckland, who have scored seven goals while conceding just one.
Wellington, still without a point, will test Canterbury, who share the league lead with Auckland, in Christchurch. Only their inability to score more than a goal a game has cost Wellington points.
North Harbour, who finished bottom of the table last year, will almost certainly shrug off any threat of relegation if they can beat bottom-placed Otago in Dunedin.
A 2-1 win over Manawatu last Sunday gave the inexperienced North Harbour much-needed confidence.
