Football: Stalemate satisfies Rovers on the road

Rovers captain Joshua Stevenson scored the second equalising goal in the 2-2 stalemate against the Greeks. Photo/file

No doubt they are a little disappointed not to win but Napier City Rovers are reconciling that emotion in hitting the highway back home with a point in the bag.

The Conroy Removals-sponsored Blues held Wellington Olympic to a 2-all draw at Wakefield Park in their Lotto Central League soccer match on Saturday after trailing 2-0 at halftime.

"If you had offered me a point before we set off in the morning at 6.30 with a depleted squad I would have taken it," said coach Bill Robertson, reiterating he, captain Fergus Neil and golden boot contender Angus Kilkolly were out of the mix.

Youth defender Blake Koolen also had to come into the game early for a 70-minute stint.

Robertson said the Rovers found their mojo in the second half and were pushing for victory.

"In the end we were disappointed not to get three points but it was a point well earned given the long travel and they [Olympic] won three games on the bounce with some senior players."

Veteran player Luis Corralles opened the hosts' account in the 17th minute before Blake Weston extended it to 2-0 in the 31st minute.

The Greeks conceded an own goal in the 51st minute after a decent drive from Oliver Corren to narrow the deficit to 2-1.

The equaliser came from captain Joshua Stevenson in the 71st minute from a header.

The Blues remain on the sixth rung of the league table on 21 points, one point above Olympic but Team Taranaki and Lower Hutt City also are on 20 points, sitting below the Greeks.

The Blues host Taranaki at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, on Saturday in their final game and it'll be their last chance to register a win dating back to a 4-1 win over Stop Out, five rounds ago, on July 2.

"It is obviously tight in the league there so we want to finish strongly at home with a win," he said, believing his men had had reasonable patches with five on the trot in the middle of the season.