“THC just do not seem to have any answers to their relentless style of play. YMP thoroughly deserve their shot at the title.”
The women’s teams completed their round-robin play last weekend, and Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa finished strongly when they beat JNL Paikea 3-0 to take third place on the women’s points table.
“It was a good way for the Ngatapa girls to end the round,” Scragg said.
“But they have a massive challenge when they face second-placed YMP A in the semifinal on Saturday evening.”
Defending women’s champions YMP A made a statement when they defeated GMC Green 3-0 last Thursday night.
“It was certainly a good result for YMP and they look strong ahead of the sudden-death game against Ngatapa at the weekend.
“The way they went about beating the Green Machine would have sent some shock waves through the GMC camp.”
GMC Green topped the top-five table, then came YMP A, Ngatapa, Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School and JNL Paikea.
In the bottom-four women’s matches, YMP B had a real battle on their hands against Te Aowera, and scraped home 1-0.
“Well done TA,” Scragg said.
“They have certainly been the fast improvers of the competition.
“YMP B really had to work hard for that win.”
GMC Kowhai had no such troubles. They stamped their dominance on the bottom-four competition with a resounding 8-0 win against GMC Gold.
“Kowhai are red-hot favourites to win that title,” Scragg said.
The finishing order after round-robin play for the bottom-four women’s teams was Kowhai, YMP B, GMC Gold and TA.
In the other men’s games, Lytton Old Boys Masters had plenty to celebrate when they knocked over YMP B 2-1 in their sudden-death game.
“Our first win of the season came at just the right time,” said Scragg, who plays for the Masters.
The Masters had a 2-0 lead by early in the second half, but YMP came back at them.
“They put us under immense pressure in the final 10 minutes, with penalty corner after penalty corner, but the boys held them out,” Scragg said.
“It was a very happy dressing room afterwards.”
YMP finished fourth in the bottom four.
The match between Gisborne Boys’ High School and LOB B had everything, including a “golden” sudden-death penalty shoot-out, won by Boys’ High.
The students were up by two goals, LOB B made it 3-2, then Boys’ High equalised to take it to penalty strokes.
“It was one of the more thrilling games of the season,” Scragg said.
Boys’ High advanced to the bottom-four final.
The women’s fourth/fifth playoff on Sunday was a thriller, too. JNL Paikea beat Amber Dental Gisborne Girls’ High School when Laura Matthew scored the winning goal in a sudden-death shoot-out.
“Girls’ High led 2-0 in normal time,” Scragg said.
“Paikea came back with two goals, then the students scored again, only for Paikea to equalise near fulltime.
“Again, we had a golden shoot-out situation, where the teams were tied after their five normal shoot-out shots.”
In the golden shoot-out, Paikea were the first to gain a one-goal advantage after the teams had the same number of attempts.
Girls’ High finished the season in fifth place.
Scoring details — Women: Ben Holden Fencing Ngatapa 3 (Jamie Humphreys 2, Briar Hunter) JNL Paikea 0.
YMP A 3 (Courtney Onekawa 2, Hana Wilkinson) GMC Green 0.
Te Aowera 0 YMP B 1 (Cynthia Fleming) Te Aowera 0.
GMC Kowhai 8 (Megan Allan 4, Nicole Brown 2, Rebecca Pepere, Jordan Teneti) GMC Gold 0.
Women’s fourth/fifth playoff: GGHS 3 (Ngahuia Wilson 2, Brooke Willock) JNL Paikea 3 (Amanda Smith, Joanne Cumming, Laura Matthew). Paikea won the sudden-death shoot-out.
Men: YMP A 6 (Jereme Taylor 2, Kohere Tupara, Heath Tupara, Josh Cousins, Alex Hyland) THC 2 (Chris Fox, Hone Pewhairangi).
LOB Masters 2 (Richard Searle 2) YMP B 1 (David Mackey).
GBHS 4 (Brett Hockey 2, Kyle Hannah, Harry Allen) LOB B 4 (David Fox 2, Herman Fourie 2). Boys’ High won the sudden-death shoot-out.
