It will be a tale of two teams with contrasting ambitions when Napier City Rovers host Island Bay United at Bluewater Stadium on Sunday.
Napier City Rovers are out to thrive, seeking victory and three Central League points to keep their dream alive of again qualifying for New Zealand Football’s (NZF) top-tier National League.
For Island Bay, securing any points to help in their hopes of survival in the Central League will be the motivation, with the side in a five-team battle to avoid relegation.
Island Bay sit two points off bottom place on the points table, with Sunday’s match coming a week and a half after the Wellington-based club said it decided to “part ways” with coach and former All White Stu Jacobs.
Both teams go into the match on the back of wins last weekend; Napier City Rovers dispatched Upper Hutt City Football 5-0, while Island Bay beat fellow relegation contenders Waterside Karori 4-1.
“At the bottom of the table, it’s really tight,” Napier City Rovers coach Bill Robertson said.
“Any of those five teams in the bottom half could still get relegated.
“Obviously, Island Bay have moved quite aggressively and changed their coaches and have got a little bounce with their result against Waterside Karori. I’m sure they’ll come to Bluewater Stadium with confidence.
“It won’t be an easy game and they’re all obviously fighting for their lives down there.
“It will be another difficult game, but we’re confident of getting a result and if we perform well again.”
Napier City Rovers earlier toppled Island Bay 6-1 on the road in Wellington in round five of the Central League in April.
The side’s win over Upper Hutt last Saturday was one of their best in front of goal all season.
It came six days after Napier City Rovers’ 2025 Chatham Cup campaign was halted by a gutting 3-2 loss to 2024 champions Wellington Olympic.
Goalscorers against Upper Hutt included Sam Lack, slotting home his 11th goal of the season.
Just as importantly as Napier City Rovers’ attack, the side’s defence also held firm, with goalkeeper Harry Townsend keeping a clean sheet.
“I was pleased with the performance, the result and it was great to score a few goals,” Robertson said.
“I said to the players beforehand that someone at some stage is going to get a battering really, in terms of goals scored against them ... we’ve been threatening to do that all season.
“We’ve been dominant in most games without ... scoring the goals, but on the weekend ... we were good. We were clinical, we finished our opportunities.
“Now we need to repeat that.”
Wins are what are needed from Robertson’s team as they chase their pre-season goal of qualifying for the National League for a fourth successive season.
To qualify, they need a top-four finish.
They are currently in fifth place, two points behind fourth-placed Western Suburbs.
The run home includes clashes against the second-placed Miramar Rangers and the league leaders, Wellington Olympic. Both of those clashes will entail road trips to Wellington.
The final stretch of the Central League campaign will also require some juggling from Robertson, selection-wise.
Both midfielder Cameron Emerson and striker Eric Kostandini Ziu have received four yellow cards. A fifth will lead to a one-match suspension.
Emerson has consistently been one of Napier City Rovers’ best players throughout 2025.
Ziu has impressed up front since coming into the squad in June after a stint playing in Australia.
Three further players are set to miss some of the remaining matches because of overseas travel, including inspirational captain Jim Hoyle, who is heading to Europe for his honeymoon.
Another factor to juggle is just who Robertson selects for the four foreign import spots he is allowed in match-day squads; he currently has five English players, meaning one must miss out each week.
Finally, like all other clubs in the Northern, Central and Southern leagues, he has to ensure a minimum of 10% of playing time is given to under-20 players (aged under 20 on January 1 of that season) on the roster.
“Balancing the selection of the squad is tricky at the moment,” Robertson said.
“There are a few players that are going to be unavailable through life basically: personal trips away and family stuff.
“That’s just the nature of balancing the squad throughout the season.
“Making sure we’re our strongest each game to pick up wins is important and something that I’m considering each game.”
Inside the Rovers video series:
Episode 1: Match Fit
Episode 2: Teen’s Dream
Episode 3: New Beginnings
Episode 4: For Keeps
Episode 5: Kiwi Steve
Episode 6: Capital Punishment
Episode 7: Bouncing Back
Episode 8: The Centurion
Episode 9: The Running Man
Episode 10: Family Pride
Episode 11: On Target
Episode 12: Road Trip Blues
Episode 13: A-League Bound
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.
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