Paikea, Ngātapa set to serve up a tight Friday club hockey opener

GMC Green's Heni-Kamaia Thompson and Ngātapa's Briar Robb duel for the ball in a Poverty Bay women's club hockey game last weekend. GMC won 7-1 and should be too strong for Gisborne Girls' High on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

Entertaining hockey will be on the plate when Emerre & Hathaway Lytton Paikea Sports Club and PGG Wrighton Ngātapa serve up the entree to the Poverty Bay club hockey weekend.

Tonight’s 6pm clash on the Hain Farming turf at Harry Barker Reserve is expected to be a tight tussle.

“It should be evenly contested,” hockey commentator Tony Scragg said

“Both teams are on the same competition points although Ngatapa have scored more goals than their opponents so far this season.

“But Paikea have been solid in defence.”

Scragg went as far to say that this “will probably go down to the wire”.

A men’s clash between defending champions YMP A and Lytton Paikea Sports Club (LPSC) Traktion follows at 7.30pm.

“Unbeaten YMP A will be a handful for Traktion, who have been struggling for form, and goals, so far,” Scragg said.

The Saturday programme begins at 12.30pm when YMP B meet Waituhi.

“The Waituhi men would go in hot favorites given their form to date,” Scragg said.

“YMP will need to number up in defence to stay in the game.”

LPSC Resene Masters and Gisborne Boys’ High First XI do battle at 2pm.

“It’s going to be a tough day out for the Masters.

“Boys’ High sit second on the table and look the goods this season. The Masters will need to defend well to hold them out.”

The 3.30pm encounter pits women’s reigning champions GMC Green against Gisborne Girls’ High First XI.

“The Green Machine should be too strong for the students,” Scragg said.

“GMC pivot their game around their skipper Jade Stafford, who is playing very well.

“Girls’ High showed enterprise on attack last weekend, but they will need to have their defence well organised and solid to stay in it.”

The weekend round ends with a 5pm women’s match between competition leaders YMP A and GMC Kowhai.

“YMP A are unbeaten and will be determined to stay that way and enhance their goal differential,” Scragg said.

After three games, YMP A top the men’s standings on the maximum nine points and a goal differential of 23. GBHS are second on seven (9), followed by Traktion on six (3), Waituhi four (1), the Masters zero (-17) and YMP B also on zero (-19).

YMP A lead the women’s table on nine points (14) from GMC Green on six (21), Ngātapa six (2), Paikea six (2), Girls’ High zero (-16) and Kowhai zero (-23).