Football: Port Hill sink own ship with late goal

Scott Saurin

Rovers 1 Port Hill 0

Nothing kills the spirit in football more than a winning goal in the dying minutes.

Promotem Napier City Rovers didn't need any reminding after going down 3-2 to first divisioners Havelock North the previous weekend in the HB Premier Knockout Cup.

This time in the ComputerCare Pacific Premiership on Saturday, once stung, twice shy Rovers inflicted pain on AppMed House Port Hill United.

"It was pretty deflating," Port Hill coach Tim Claudatos said after conceding an own goal with two minutes to go.

Dan Ball had surged to the goal line to put a deft cross through but it clipped a defender's leg to find the net.

That neither goalkeeper had much to do, Claudatos said, was a testimony to their defences.

Port Hill, coming off a two-week break, had a three-prong attack with Magnus Hansson, Matt Single and Hayden Ericksen but Rovers centre back Regan Cameron marshalled the defence well.

Marist 4 Maycenvale 0

It was an even first half but Hotshot Marist's Don Butler stole a goal a minute before halftime against Maycenvale United.

Marist club captain Alan Dick said in the first four minutes of resumption of play, Nick Broome made it 2-0 and followed up with another not long after.

Dan Baxter made it 4-0.

"Maycenvale were very much into it in the first half," Dick said.

Gisborne 11 Rangers 0

Finding himself with just seven players yesterday keen to travel to Gisborne, Western Rangers coach Ritchie Howard drew on seven fill-in players.

"I had four lads from division one and two and three ex-prem players," Howard said, after leaders Sunshine Brewery Team Gisborne crushed the Hastings club 11-0 after a 7-0 at halftime.

Kieran Ryan scored five goals, Nick Land twice and Dan Marsh, Max Logan, Kieran Venema and Josh Bates one each.

Howard said his team never gave up and walked away with their heads high.

Fed League Cup Havelock Nth 7 PNBHS 0

It was one-way traffic but Cole Murray Group Havelock North Wanderers coach Bruce Barclay lavished praise on the opponents.

Barclay said it was almost derogatory to dismiss Palmerston North Boys' High School First XI as a bunch of schoolboys but "they are some of the better ones going around".

The Wanderers had drawn 2-2 against them in the first round in Palmy but beat them 3-0 at Guthrie Park.

The Fed League Cup is a competition within the league to ensure table-topping Wanganui Athletic are still playing before their promotion-relegation games kick in.

Barclay revealed Scott Saurin became a father on Friday night - baby girl.

"They set him free from hospital and he scored a hat-trick of goals."

Flo Hammer, Jared Bloor, Che Jesson-Bentley and Brigham Fraser got on the ref's scorecard, too.

-Central Football has postponed all, bar a few games, this Saturday to enable fans to attend the EPL tour matches against Wellington Phoenix in the capital as well as support the Bluewater Napier City Rovers in the Chatham Cup (national knockout) game against Bay Island United on Sunday.