Football: Rovers climb one rung up cup ladder

Another win and another step close to clinching the double for Napier City Rovers.

"Anything at home would be nice, rather than having to travel to Wellington," the coach of the TSB Bank-sponsored team, Bill Robertson, said after the Blues beat Palmerston North Marist 4-2 at Memorial Park in round three of the ASB Chatham Cup on Saturday.

The cup draws for the next round will be pulled out of a hat today. Robertson expects to face at least two more Lotto Central League sides in the country's premier knockout cup competition.

In typical derby fashion, the team from the other side of the Manawatu Gorge kept the league leaders honest at Memorial Park.

Striker Saul Halpin struck first for the visitors in the 13th minute but the hosts equalised in the 42nd minute through Tyson Brandt, leaving the teams level at halftime.

Ryan Tinsley pushed the Danny Wilson-captained Rovers 2-1 up in the 61st minute but five minutes later Khair Jones levelled terms again.

It took until almost five minutes from regulation time before golden boot leader Angus Kilkolly broke the deadlock with a penalty kick after defender Ashish Sahayam "blatantly handled" the ball in the box.

Rovers midfielder Josh Stevenson put Marist out their misery, 4-2, in the 89th minute.

"We put them under pressure all game but it was a tense second half and we conceded some sloppy goals," Robertson said, lamenting his players missing about six chances, whereas Marist had two and scored from both.

The result was a fair result for the coach who impressed on the Rovers at halftime the need to continue as they had been - bar the last five minutes when Marist scored a breakaway goal.

"I asked them to apply more pressure but we did that only in patches."

The Rovers, with one league loss this winter, host Lower Hutt at 2pm on Sunday and morale is high.

"We're confident we can beat anyone," Robertson said.