Midfielder Cameron Emerson slides in after scoring for Napier City Rovers in their 8-2 third-round Chatham Cup clash against Stop Out at Bluewater Stadium. Photo / Paul Taylor
Napier City Rovers coach Bill Robertson wastes no time in pinpointing what is behind his side’s rampant five-week run – hard work right across the playing and coaching group.
Napier City Rovers’ unbeaten onslaught over the past month has seen the Jim Hoyle-captained football team score 23 goals in their past five matches which have all been played at home; headlined by last Sunday’s 8-2 third-round Chatham Cup demolition of Stop Out.
Napier City Rovers toppled the same Wellington opposition 4-1 in 10th-round Central League action the previous week.
On Sunday, they return to Central League mode, taking on Petone FC at Bluewater Stadium.
Ahead of the clash – in which a win could see them close in on third spot on the points table – Robertson said determination and commitment throughout the playing and coaching set-up had resulted in the formidable performances.
“It’s four wins on the bounce and we are starting to click as a team.
“It is down to hard work from the players, hard work from the coaching staff; to continuously analyse, critique and come up with solutions to how we think the players we have got will best perform as a squad, how we can get the best out of the players, and how we can hurt opposition we are playing against.
“There is no shortcut recipe. There is no secret recipe to success; it is about hard work.”
That hard work continues on Sunday against Petone FC.
And given the nature of the Central League points table, it is one of the side’s most important league matches to date in 2023.
Napier City Rovers and Petone FC both have 16 competition points, but Robertson’s side is in fourth spot on the points table courtesy of a better goals for and against record. But Petone FC has a game in hand.
Four Central League teams will qualify from the upcoming National League; the Wellington Phoenix Reserves – currently in second place - are guaranteed a spot, with the remaining places going to the other three top finishers.
A win on Sunday would help cement a place in the top four for Napier City Rovers.
“It is a classic six-pointer,” Robertson said.
“They are having a great season . . . ideally we can win that game and jump ahead of them. In that battle for that fourth spot, or for us to potentially even go higher than that and finish in the top three, this is probably a must-win game.”
While the squad had been concentrating on one game at a time during the recent run of successive home games, the players had all realised how important the final game of that stretch against Petone FC was.
“We are confident going into the game, but we are very wary Petone is a good side and are sitting level with us on points for a good reason,” Robertson said.
Petone won the first 2023 Central League match-up between the two clubs 4-2 back in second-round action in Wellington.
But since then, given some tweaks to Napier City Rovers’ playing roster – including the signing of Canadian Stefan Karajovanovic – greater consistency on goal and a well-implemented game plan mean it is a much different-looking side to that April 1 clash.
“We now look a more complete side,” Robertson said.
“I do feel like we have more control both in and out of possession in games than we potentially had earlier in the season.”
Last Sunday’s 8-2 Chatham Cup win over Stop Out was Napier City Rovers at their best in 2023.
The game was as good as over at halftime, with the home side holding a 5-2 lead.
Stop Out had few answers to Rovers’ attacking intent.
And central midfielder Cameron Emerson again imposed himself on the game.
His strike against Stop Out in the June 11 Central League clash was voted New Zealand Football’s goal of the week across Central, Southern and Northern league action.
Last weekend he added two more clinically taken goals, on top of solid ball distribution and strong work on defence.
The fourth-round draw for the knockout Chatham Cup will see Napier City Rovers face Waterside Karori at Bluewater Stadium on July 9.
Robertson said the players had enjoyed the chance to play so many matches in succession at Bluewater Stadium, with good crowds turning up to cheer them on.
It was important now that they ended that home streak with another winning performance on Sunday before the side started a stint of three Central League clashes in Wellington.
“The players know we have to challenge ourselves to perform on the road,” Robertson said.
“We have created a lot of chances all season. We are now starting to convert a lot more of those chances. Our tactical principles when we are out of possession have become a little more embedded now and they are understanding what we are asking of them.
“The importance now is to keep doing that. We can’t take our foot off the gas; we have to continue that momentum leading into this game on the weekend and moving forward.”
>> Napier City Rovers v Petone FC
Kick-off: Sunday, June 25, 2pm
Bluewater Stadium
Neil Reid is a Napier-based reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014.