Football: Group of death too tight for Rovers to shrug off

LEAN ON ME: Glenfield Rovers centreback Josh Chapman puts on Rovers winger Shae Bauerfeind. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

The second your fate is in someone else's hand in a tournament it is safe to assume it's all over rover.

Napier City Rovers found that out to their detriment yesterday when they failed to make the playoffs of their own annual Lotto Under-19 Youth football tournament at Park Island.

Two wins, a loss and two draws just weren't enough to come out of what co-coaches Bill Robertson and Chris Greatholder dubbed "the group of death" - group C with Eastern Suburbs, Glenfield Rovers, Lower Hutt City, Oratia United and Wellington Olympic.

"We're disappointed," Robertson said, reflecting on the 1-0 loss to Eastern Suburbs (Auckland) in their opening match on Saturday morning.

"They scored a goal from what was a cross but we had seven or eight chances and didn't so that game cost us," he lamented.

In the second match, against Oratia United (Hibiscus Coast), co-captain Angus Kilkolly claimed a hattrick of first-half goals as the hosts went on to register a 3-1 victory.

In the final clash on Saturday, Rovers created havoc in the 18m box of Glenfield Rovers (Auckland) with Welsh import co-captain Miles John all over the visitors like a fox terrier for a 1-0 victory.

Striker Kilkolly scored a penalty in the first half but minutes later, in another John foul, failed from the spot after the Glenfield goalkeeper parried.

Ironically the first penalty kick shouldn't have been one because the defender fouled Canterbury United summer player John after the ball had gone out of play.

Regrettably, a crude tackle on Kilkolly ended his tourney after he was left nursing a cracked collarbone although the Blues were guilty of taking too many touches at times rather than pushing the ball to someone to simply have a shot at goal.

"It was a blow for us but also a blow for Gus because he is in the Wanderers [Soccer Club] squad," Roberston said of the teenager who will be out for about four weeks as the bulk of the ASB Premiership games kick off this coming weekend.

Yesterday, Rovers drew 1-1 with Wellington Olympic after Josh Stewart scored for the Blues.

It was another 1-1 stalemate in the second game against the undefeated Brendan McIntyre-coached Lower Hutt City, this time Shae Bauerfiend finding the equaliser in tit-for-tat first-half goals.

The Blues' fate was in the hands of the Eastern Suburbs versus Glenfield result, the hosts needing the other Rovers to win or draw but Suburbs prevailed 2-1.

"The boys can be proud of their efforts ... we weren't far away at all," Robertson said, adding the youth would build towards the future after the club last won the title in 2006.

He was loathe to single out a player but named centreback Logan Bensemann the Blues' standout.

This morning, it'll be a three Auckland and one Wellington semifinals from 9am.

Western Springs, who pipped defending champions Three Kings 1-0 in the quarterfinals, face Western Suburbs (Wellington) who beat Wellington United 3-0.

In the other semifinal, Ellerslie face Birkenhead before the winners will descend at Bluewater Stadium for the midday kick off in the final.

Ellerslie squeezed past last year's finalists, Lower Hutt, 5-4 in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals after the sides were locked scoreless in regulation and extra time.

Birkenhead beat Eastern Suburbs 2-0.

Bay teams Havelock North, Napier Marist, Rovers B and Western Rangers failed to make the playoffs of the satellite section.

Island Bay play Waterside Karori in an all-Wellington satellite final at 10.30am today at Bluewater Stadium.

Waterside Karori beat Tauranga City United 2-0 while Island Bay pipped Melville United 2-1 in the semifnals.