Gutsy 10-man Rovers side exposed by Rangers
For sixth-placed Napier City Rovers today's eighth-round Central League football clash against unbeaten competition leaders Miramar Rangers in Napier was always going to be a tough assignment.
Thirsty Whale Napier City Rovers made it tougher when captain and defender Jim Hoyle was red-carded in the ninth minute of the Bluewater Stadium-hosted match by referee Matthew Conger after being issued with two yellow cards for over-vigorous challenges.
Under those circumstances, the Blues exceeded expectations with their performance for the first 67 minutes. As head coach and centre back Bill Robertson said afterwards:
"We can be proud of the first 70 minutes as we worked hard and dominated for long periods. But during the last 20, we conceded a couple of soft penalties and began to tire."
Experienced striker Josh Stevenson, 32, (pictured above) put the hosts ahead with a cracker of a left-foot strike in the 29th minute. That was the only goal of the first half despite the Rangers finishing the spell with seven shots on goal, four more than the Blues.
All of the Blues deserve praise for their defensive work in the first half. Keeper Oscar Mason made a couple of spectacular saves while defender Ethan Ladd (pictured below), on his 21st birthday, and midfielder Samuel Wall had phenomenal workrates.
Portugal forward Joao Moreira scored the equaliser in the 52nd minute with a left foot field goal which wrong-footed Mason. Rangers increased the tempo from this point but Rovers scrambled well until the 68th minute when former Blues midfielder Andy Bevin split the tiring Rovers defence and scored.
The 78th minute saw Rangers substitute Jake Williams brought down in the box by Wall and Moreira succeed with the penalty. Moreira completed his hat-trick with another successful penalty attempt in the 89th minute.
Bevin was one of four Hawke's Bay United players who turned out for the Rangers. Forwards Jorge Akers and Samuel Mason-Smith also started and midfielder Karan Mandair was an 80th-minute replacement for Bevin.
Wellington Phoenix Academy forward Kaelin Nguyen has been secured as a loan player by Rovers and he made his debut as a 62nd-minute substitute.
Meanwhile Havelock North Wanderers yesterday secured top spot in Central Football's Federation League with a 6-0 drubbing of previous leaders Massey University in Palmerston North.
"Our boys were awesome and executed well for the entire game," Wanderers coach Chris Greatholder said.
Striker Dakota Lucas, who is in his second season back in the Bay after a stint in Australia, scored a hat-trick for the Wanderers who led 3-0 at halftime. Attacking midfielder Bjorn Christensen scored two goals to take his season tally to eight from as many games.
Striker Jarvis Alatise scored Wanderers other goal. He scored a hat-trick for the Hastings Boys' High School 1st XI on Friday night so it was a big 24 hours for the teen.
HBHS beat Napier Boys' High School 3-1 at the Mitre 10 Sports Park.
"We want to win the league and we're definitely on track," Greatholder said.
