Dealing with nitty-gritty

YMP's Moelani Tureia-Siataga (left) and GMC Green's Jess Candy bring their sticks together like a hockey coat of arms in a women's hockey match on the turf at Harry Barker Reserve last month. The game ended 1-1. Tomorrow GMC Green play Gisborne Girls' High School and YMP play Paikea. Picture by Paul Rickard

The business end of the hockey season starts tonight and this weekend's semifinals will produce some exciting playoffs as teams vie for places in the finals.

Waituhi have enjoyed a marvellous comeback season and tonight they play GMC Kowhai for a place in the women's bottom-four final.

“Waituhi will go in with a bit of confidence and will look for a solid start to the game,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said.

“If they get out to a lead they will be pretty hard to run down.

“Kowhai, on the other hand, will throw everything at them, and defence will be as important as attack to Waituhi.

“If Waituhi make it through to the final, we will seriously need Covid Level 1 next weekend to be able to accommodate their big crowd of supporters,” Scragg said.

Toniht's match starts at 6.30pm.

Tomorrow's line-up of games begins at 12 midday with the clash between Ngatapa and GMC Gold, again with a bottom-four final place on the line.

“Ngatapa must go in as hot favourites,” Scagg said.

“They scored a big win against Gold the first time they played them this year.

“While they struggled a bit in their second match with them, Ngatapa have shown they are deserving of a finals appearance,” Scragg said.

In the first of the top-four women's semis at 1.30pm tomorrow, GMC Green play Amber Dental Gisborne Girls' High School.

“I think the Green Machine want to defend the women's title and to do that they must win tomorrow.

“Unfortunately Girls' High might be on the receiving end of that determination,” he said.

“The only confidence booster for the students would be that they played together in five games last week. They will be together in their work on the turf.”

At 3pm, Paikea meet YMP to decide the other women's championship finalist.

“It's hard not to back the most consistent team in the women's competition this season,” Scragg said.

“YMP have a belief in each other that has carried them to this point of the season, and I expect that belief to continue tomorrow.

“But Paikea will go right to the wire and play for the full 70 minutes.”

The men take over the turf then and at 4.30pm it will be YMP (2) against Gisborne Boys' High School.

“YMP (2) have suffered only one loss this season,” Scragg said.

“It will be a monumental effort for the students to get up in this one.

“They will have to watch out for the aggressive YMP attack. They will be very strong.”

At 6pm, YMP (1) play Lytton Old Boys NZ Fruits to complete the weekend's play.

“In the past six weeks, the Fruits have shown how competitive they can be,” Scragg said.

“They appear to have got it together at the right end of the season.

“They must be in there with a good chance of making the men's final.

“I mean, who wouldn't want to win the Covid Cup!”