• Midfielder relishes being back in Rovers colours

Midfielder relishes being back in Rovers colours

Having played for Napier City Rovers as a teenager Cameron Emerson knows what the club's Central League football side means to the city's sporting fabric.

"Yes it meant a lot when I made my debut for the team last week. It was a good team result," Emerson (pictured above) said as he recalled last weekend's 5-1 win against Wainuiomata in the capital.

"It was good to get a goal and get myself off the mark. Hopefully there are more to follow," Emerson said on the eve of tomorrow's second round clash against North Wellington at Napier's Bluewater Stadium.

A product of the Havelock North Wanderers age group system, Emerson, played for Rovers Premier League team during the 2011 and '12 seasons while still at Napier Boys' High School. He did his Year 13 studies at Mount Albert Grammar School when he was in the New Zealand under-17 squad.

Back in September Emerson, 25, returned from a five-year football scholarship at Anderson University in South Carolina. During the last three years of that stint he completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree.

He was used as a forward for Hawke's Bay United in the summer but is relishing the attacking midfielder's role with Rovers.

"I'm a lot more at home. I'm more of a playmaker and I'm enjoying it a lot," Emerson explained.

He is expecting three or four of his Hawke's Bay United teammates to front up with the North Wellington team which will provide a sterner test than Wainuiomata did.

"Everyone saw how well our game plan worked last weekend. We will be switching that up to get the best result possible against Noth Wellington. It will be a bit nore difficult as they will test us. But all the boys are confident," Emerson said..  

Like Emerson, Rovers player-coach Bill Robertson, is expecting North Wellington to provide tougher opposition than Wainuiomata did last weekend.

"North Wellington have recruited well and they are well coached. But we can go into our first game at home full of confidence," Robertson said.

Midfielder Sam Wall missed last weekend's clash with an ankle strain and Robertson said Wall was hoping to be fit for tomorrow's game.

The Napier City Rovers team for tomorrow's 2pm match:

Reon Werahiko, Liam Schofield, Luca Barclay, Isaac Belcher, Tai Barham, Sam Wall, Cameron Emerson, Zac Madsen, Kailan Gould, Ethan Ladd, Josh Stevenson, James Hoyle (captain), Fergus Neil, Luke Minshull, Bill Robertson, Ben Wade, Oscar Mason