Giraffes and Pythons share spoils

Nickol Bay Hockey Association is three matches into its inaugural pro hockey competition, which sees the return of a serious hockey competition to the Pilbara with four set teams, match fixtures, umpires and a grand final scheduled for the end of June.

The first week saw a prolonged match with three halves to give all players a turn on the pitch.

The skill level on show was fantastic and lifted the game to a fast moving goal-fest.

The second week involved two concurrent games.

The Pilbara Giraffes v Pilbara Pythons began as a fast-paced four-a-side match.

It was a high-scoring first half for the Giraffes, with Mark Saunders and Megan Gillie dominating, and though Nicole Robinson saved lots for the Pythons, they were 9-5 down at half-time.

Extra players after the break turned the game around for the Pythons, and the full-time score was a nail-biting 15-15 draw.

On the pitch next door, the Karratha Seagulls got off to a slow start against the Karratha Creepers, who scored five unanswered goals before the Seagulls made it onto the score sheet.

But the Seagulls slowly clawed their way back into the game and by the final siren had proved the stronger team, winning 11-9.