On Saturday, several new players were named on the teamsheet, and two at opposite ends of the age range stood out.
Goalkeeper Oscar Mason was all set to pursue his football ambitions in Auckland when the Covid-19 pandemic changed the sporting landscape and he had to settle for City Rovers . . . still one of the top clubs in the country. He turned 16 last month and was 15 when he made his first-team debut in July.
Chris McIvor is 41, plays up front and has the enthusiasm of a 14-year-old. And while the competitive fire still burns, McIvor plays as if he enjoys every moment on the field.
Mason pulled off some remarkable saves and McIvor set up the goal that gave Thistle supporters a seven-minute spell of nervous tension to end the match.
McIvor and fellow striker Stu Wilson coach the City Rovers Seconds.
Gisborne Vehicle Testing Thistle again conceded a goal before they got into their stride.
City Rovers midfielder Willie Stanger, captain for the day in recognition of his 36th birthday and with his father, City Rovers stalwart Roy, at the game, drilled his shot low and hard from the edge of the penalty area to put Napier 1-0 up in the fifth minute.
Thistle worked their way into the game, and in the 23rd minute striker Davie Ure got clear and drew a good blocking save from Mason. Jags outside-right Brandon Josling pounced on the rebound and without breaking stride drove the ball into the net from 20 metres on the angle.
In the 25th minute, Ure turned in the penalty area and shot; Mason blocked it.
In the 38th, Ure laid the ball off to rightback Emerson Araya, who had advanced deep into the Napier half. He sent in a cross that found attacking midfielder Tomek Frooms ghosting in at the far post, where his sidefoot-volley gave Mason no chance . . . 2-1.
In the 41st, McIvor showed the cunning of experience. Araya had gone forward in support of an attack, so McIvor filled the gap he had left, received the ball in space and knocked in a cross that was turned just wide of the Thistle goal.
In the 45th, Ure found space near the edge of the penalty area, drew a save from the keeper and got on to the ball again to fire a shot goalwards. Covering rightback Jacques Markram dived full-length to his right to head the ball off the line . . . perhaps the save of the match, if only for the timing required.
By now, Thistle had warmed to their task. The chances flowed but Napier would get a foot, leg, body or head in the way.
Three minutes after the break, Josling's right-wing cross was headed just past the near post by left-winger Justo Rodriguez.
Then, in the 51st minute, Thistle leftback Kuba Jerabek sent in a tempting cross from level with the edge of the penalty area. Ure seemed to scan the goal as he waited for it, then placed his header beyond Mason's reach.
At 3-1, it seemed the dam might have burst. Another goal would finish it. Jerabek was making strong runs forward, central midfielders Nick Land and Agustin Ventre seemed to have a nose for danger in defence and opportunity in attack, and Frooms was liable to pop up anywhere.
With Josling and Rodriguez prepared to cut in and threaten the goal, Ure was as much provider as receiver of chances.
Napier had the comparatively experienced Logan Bensemann marshalling the defence from centreback, well supported by Roimata Karika and Markram, and later by Jackson Haines and Stanger.
Midfielders Ethan Ladd, Isaac Milley and Stanger were often helped by deep-lying strikers Stu Wilson (son of team manager and club stalwart Malcolm) and Ethan Clarke (son of 1980s national league striker Harry).
If that left McIvor up front on his own against Thistle centrebacks Daniel Venema and Ander Batarrita, he wasn't complaining.
In the 67th, he turned and forced a save from Thistle keeper Mark Baple.
In the 77th, Thistle's Ure eluded the Napier defence and shot. The ball beat the keeper, hit the far post and rebounded, ultimately to safety.
Thistle supporters became uneasy when, in the 83rd minute, McIvor sent in a cross from the right that found Wilson in the goal area. Baple made a good save from the header, but Wilson was on to the rebound smartly to force it home . . . 3-2.
Land was running as hard in the last 10 minutes as he was in the first 10. Two minutes from time he intercepted a ball in midfield, passed, received the return and shot. It was turned away for a corner.
A minute later, Ure turned and laid the ball on for Sam Patterson, who had come on in the 80th minute. For a moment, he had promising space, but that was all the time Napier needed to get back and smother the danger.
Jags coach Garrett Blair said Thistle could easily have scored six or seven goals on the chances created.
“We created a lot of pressure but couldn't finish,” he said.
“We had a little bit of bad luck, but I'm happy with the way the boys played.”
Napier manager Malcolm Wilson said the team could easily have gone 4-1 down but kept battling. He thought Haines, Ladd and McIvor were outstanding, and the team's form was encouraging, given most of them would be in the Napier squad for the under-19 tournament in October.
Referee Andy Parker, of Tikokino, showed the yellow card to Bensemann, of Napier, and to Rodriguez and Patterson, of Thistle.
