Chatham Cup football: Schoolboy scores in Napier City Rovers romp

Napier City Rovers player Patryk Misik elues North End defender Lee Ndlovu during yesterday's victory. Photo / Warren Buckland

When promising Napier City Rovers footballer Kaeden Atkins eventually retires and sits down to discuss matches with mates, one game in particular will pop up reasonably quick in conversation.

That will be The Thirsty Whale Blues' 6-0 Chatham Cup first round win against Palmerston North club North End at Park Island yesterday. Atkins, 17, who is in his third year as a Napier Boys' High School 1st XI player, took the field as a substitute rightback with 20 minutes remaining, scored a goal and helped keep the visitors scoreless with solid defensive work.

"It was really good to score my first goal at this level. While I still play for the school it's good to play for the Blues as the pace is a lot faster up here and everyone is more physical," Atkins said afterwards.

He had 45 minutes off the pine against Building King Havelock North Wanderers in the previous week's 6-1 Central League win.

"I want to keep playing for the Blues and stay in the Bay to play when I leave school," said Atkins, who prefers the centreback position.

Another reason Atkins will remember the game was the fact it was transferred from Bluewater Stadium to one of the outer fields at Park Island.

"It wasn't good. There is still a drainage issue at Bluewater which is the premier pitch for Napier City Rovers and Hawke's Bay United. We have spoke to the Napier City Council about this in the past and the problem is still there," Rovers head coach Bill Robertson said.

While happy with the progress Atkins is making, Robertson was equally delighted with yesterday's display. His team led 1-0 at halftime.

"As expected North End tried to make things difficult for us and sat very deep. We had 80 or 90 per cent of possession and eventually we were able to take our opportunities and score some good goals.

"There were times when we could have been more clinical and scored more goals. But 6-0 ... we will definitely take that," Robertson said.

Centre forward Martin Bueno scored two goals for the Blues. Like Atkins, leftback Liam Schofield and midfielders Sho Goto and Wesley Cain scored one each for the hosts.
Robertson declined to single out individuals and said the victory was the result of a "collective effort".

"It was good to be able to create opportunities, be persistent and rotate our entire squad at the same time."

He was also happy to report all of his players used in the game were injury free. The Blues will host Lower Hutt in a round eight Central League fixture at home this weekend.
Havelock North drew a bye in the weekend's round of Chatham Cup play.

Other Central/Capital Region fixtures saw Palmerston North Marist beat Wanganui Athletic 6-3, Lower Hutt City beat Miramar Rangers 4-2, North Wellington beat Brooklyn Northern United 4-2, Wainuiomata beat Marist 1-0, Victoria University beat Naenae 3-2, Upper Hutt City beat Seatoun 7-3, Western Suburbs beat Tawa 4-0, Island Bay United beat Stokes Valley 5-1, Kapiti Coast United thrashed Martinborough 15-0 and Wellington Olympic beat Petone 5-1.

One of the feature Northern Region tussles saw Waiheke United beat Cambridge 3-2 in Cambridge. Waiheke United are coached by Malcolm McPherson who tasted Chatham Cup glory with Eastern Suburbs in 2015.