Whanganui Women still top of Manawatu Reserve hockey with win

Whanganui Women's Kate Tylee, right, looks to keep the ball away from HSHC B's Shayla Treleaven at the Gonville Domain on Saturday.

There are only two unbeaten teams left in the Manawatu Premier Reserve Women's grade after the Whanganui Women took that tag away from High School Hockey B with a comfortable 4-1 win on Saturday.

Whanganui scored in the opening minute at the Gonville Domain through Kate Tylee, and dominated territory for most of the first half.

The visiting keeper Jaime Watters had to make a diving save to prevent a second goal after ten minutes, while Tylee had a go at the posts not long after, and then Nicki Skedgwell had to hurry a shot from a fumbled pass.

HSHC B remained dangerous on counterattack, as Trinity Mitchell got a one-on-one challenge with home keeper Chantelle de Koning, and managed to beat her, but Whanganui's player-coach Colleen Baylis make a great dive across the open goal to deflect the shot away.

The home side then survived a penalty corner, while getting one of their own, which was denied by defender Kea Keedle twice stealing the ball back.

Whanganui's Rachel Dickie and Tylee took shots which were blocked and away respectively, but Loren Mooney made sure HSHC B didn't get to clear with a good turnover.

The younger visiting team still kept their heads up and after a Aimee Croad shot missed, HSHC B got a penalty corner and Melissa Viviers made a perfect strike around the Whanganui wall to tie the scores.

The 1-1 scoreline didn't reflect Whanganui's territorial advantage, as they kept forcing turnovers, with Tylee and Skedgwell having shots that richoceted away, while Dickie received a penalty attempt in front but pushed it wide.

Pressure finally told when Melissa Goff got her penalty corner shot away and it flicked up off Keedle's foot and into the goal for 2-1 at halftime.

A Lucy Skedgwell run had Whanganui on attack in the third quarter, with Tylee working with Nicki Skedgwell but they just couldn't quite put it together.

Another Tylee shot was deflected, while Charlotte Baker had a long run and sent her pass up to Michelle Lowe, who had to leap high but couldn't bring it down.

The odds Whanganui would keep missing had to be decreasing, and Lowe finally made it work as she collected a better pass to bury it for 3-1.

Continuing to force midfield turnovers, Whanganui had another couple of penalty corner attempts, which were saved or deflected by Keedle, but the tide kept coming and the home side swung in from the right of the goal to Nicki Skedgwell and Lucky Wilbur, with Wilbur getting the score.

HSHC B had a couple of chances in the fourth quarter as Whanganui began to slow down, but the defenders held firm.

"We did it the hard way, had all the chances and all the possession," said Baylis.

"We were just way too soft in the attacking circle – we just wanted to push forward and say, 'here you go'."

As a team that doesn't formally practice due to the veterans playing social grade during the week, Baylis said they were lucky they have the experiance to play as a core group and then bring in their young players around that.

Whanganui's next game is against College Social in Palmerston North, while Tech College Old Boys come off their bye in the Manawatu Premier Men's grade to face Palmerston North Boys High at Gonville.