HOCKEY: Men's leader hits new vein of form

Maungakaramea assumed the leadership of the Northland Premier Men's Hockey league on Saturday with a clinical 4-0 victory over Bream Bay United.
It is the first time this season that Maungakaramea have been at the top of the league but their recent run of form suggests it could be tough for the other teams to dislodge them in the run in to the semifinals.
Maungakaramea player-coach Graeme Bint said the team had picked the right end of the season to begin to show signs of improvement.
"The combinations are beginning to gel really well now and the two or three players who have come back into the team have really stabilised things and we've become quite a good team unit now," Bint said.
Maungakaramea struck barely two minutes into the game with a Sam Webb shot saved by the Bream Bay keeper, but the ball rolled into the path of Ian Page, who made no mistake.
Midway through the spell, Webb doubled Maungakaramea's lead with an accurate drag flick from a penalty corner, before Carlo Aprea picked up their third goal from a goalmouth melee just before the break.
Webb was again involved in the final goal of the match as Kieran Lynn deflected another penalty corner into the net. Mangapai now trail Maungakaramea by just one point ahead of the two teams' head-to-head match this Saturday.
Mangapai surrendered their lead in the competition on Friday night when they could only manage a 1-1 draw against third-placed Currie Electrical Springfield.
In the Premier Women's competition Maungakaramea extended their lead on the table to nine points when they beat Kamo High School 6-0. Goals to Jodie Nichol (2), Jan Rowsell, Sheryl Thorne, Keri Linklater and Natasha Cotton completed the comfortable win against the plucky Kamo team.
Old Girls and Whangarei Girls High School continued their battle for second place on the table.
Girls High beat United Kawakawa 3-0 to leapfrog Old Girls into second place after Old Girls drew 1-1 with their old rivals Hikurangi-Parihaka.
The matches between the two sides are traditionally close and Saturday's match was no different.
Jenni Brash opened the scoring for Old Girls just 15 minutes into the match by making the most of a goalmouth melee.
They still led at the break, but a touch of magic got Hikurangi back on level terms midway through the second spell.
The ball was played out from defence and spread wide before a pinpoint cross from the right was touched in by Karen Scott-Davidson for the equaliser.