Napier City Rovers stalwarts Jim Hoyle (left), and Fergus Neil ahead of the Central League clash with Petone. Photo / Neil Reid
Napier City Rovers stalwarts Jim Hoyle (left), and Fergus Neil ahead of the Central League clash with Petone. Photo / Neil Reid
Modern-day Napier City Rovers legends Jim Hoyle and Fergus Neil have written another chapter into their illustrious stints at the club.
Key members of the 2023 Central League squad chasing qualification to New Zealand Football’s 10-team National League competition later this year, the pair are no strangers to tasting success during their time at the club.
And last weekend the defensive duo secured themselves another part of Napier City Rovers history, with Neil making his 200th first-team appearance, while Hoyle played his 150th, in the 2-2 Central League draw against Petone.
Ahead of Sunday’s round 12 clash against Western Suburbs, coach Bill Robertson paid tribute to the pair’s longevity, playing ability and leadership.
He made his comeback during the 2019 season, a year capped by Napier City Rovers winning their fifth Chatham Cup.
“Ferg has been ever-present at the club since I have been involved,” Robertson said.
“It is not easy to reach that milestone. To reach 200 you need a certain level of consistency about you, and he has done that. His performance levels have been consistent, and he has battled back from some pretty serious injuries.
“With his mentality and his professional approach, it is a great example for the younger players about what you can achieve. He’s been a great servant to the club.”
Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle prepares to lead his side out onto Bluewater Stadium. Photo / Neil Reid
Hoyle, 27, has been a stalwart of the club since arriving in 2015.
As well as being the defensive rock of the team, he has also excelled with his leadership as the side’s captain at Central League, National League and Chatham Cup levels.
“He has worked his way up to being captain and one of the leaders of the group,” Robertson said.
“He’s a good leader. Over the years he has performed well . . . he has taken that [captaincy] role on well and does a good job for the club. He sets a good example for the younger players.”
But it will be Neil who will captain Napier City Rovers in their clash against Western Suburbs on Sunday.
Hoyle has been forced to sit the match out with suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the 2023 season in the draw against Petone.
Napier City Rovers forward Deri Corfe reacts with frustration after another near-miss in the June 25 2-2 Central League draw against Petone. Photo / Neil Reid
The result kept both teams locked on 17 competition points – but Rovers are ahead on goals for and against on the points table – as the battle for National League spots heats up. But Petone does have a game in hand.
Four teams will qualify; the Wellington Phoenix Reserves are guaranteed a spot, with the other places going to the three other best-finishing clubs.
Given Napier City Rovers’ dominance – especially in the first half – it was staggering the team didn’t walk off Bluewater Stadium with the three points for the win.
Rovers were up inside just two minutes of kick-off, thanks to the first of two goals from JC Mack III. The US Virgin Islands international impressed in his return to the starting 11 before being subbed midway through the second half.
Robertson said his side had created enough opportunities to win the match “convincingly”.
“That being said, you only deserve to win if you convert your chances,” he said.
Some fine goalkeeping denies Napier City Rovers a goal in the June 25 2-2 Central League clash against Petone. Photo / Neil Reid
“We had a great start, we could have been three or four nil up inside the first 10 minutes; we scored, we hit the post and had another couple of shots all in the first 10 minutes.
“The stats were heavy in our favour. We restricted the opposition to four shots in total, three were on target. And we registered 20-odd shots. It was a game we should have won, no doubt about that.”
The Petone clash ended a five-week streak of home matches – including two Chatham Cup preliminary round wins - for the side.
Sunday’s clash with Western Suburbs is the first of three successive Central League matches on the road to Wellington-based opposition.
The away trips will be broken up by the July 9 fourth-round Chatham Cup clash against Waterside Karori at Bluewater Stadium.
The first clash between Napier City Rovers and Western Suburbs ended in a 2-2 draw in fourth-round action.
Robertson said the team would approach their away league matches “one game at a time”.
Napier City Rovers forward Deri Corfe lies on Bluewater Stadium’s turf after the agonising 2-2 draw against Petone on June 25. Photo / Neil Reid
Seven matches remain in the Central League season, with the coach urging his players to maintain their high level of performance and consistency.
“The draw at the weekend still keeps us in the hunt [for National League]. A win would have obviously nudged ahead a little bit,” he said.
“As it stands we are in that fourth spot and someone has to knock us off that fourth spot.
“We have been very dominant in games but haven’t perhaps got the results in all of them that we feel we deserved but that is football. We just need to concentrate on the next seven games now and make sure we pick up as many points as possible.
