Road trip Blues: Rovers’ challenge to conquer ones that got away

Napier City Rovers player-coach Bill Robertson says securing points on the road is a priority for season-ending clash in Auckland. New Zealand Herald photograph by Neil Reid

As Napier City Rovers prepare for their 2022 National League finale, team management are looking at how they can combat arguably the biggest factor which has cost them a higher finish on the points table.

The Bill Robertson-coached team goes into Saturday afternoon’s clash with Auckland United, in Auckland, in eighth spot.

As in the earlier Central League, the side has been almost unbeatable at their home ground, Bluewater Stadium, during the National League; losing only to high-flyers Wellington Olympic.

On the road it has been a different story, securing just one point from the round two draw with Christchurch United. That points haul fails to highlight how the team has performed at times in all their matches away from Napier.

That includes last weekend’s tense 4-3 loss to Melville United where after a 20-minute period which Robertson described as “a bit flat”, the side enjoyed dominance but failed to leave Hamilton with any competition points.

Last weekend, as Napier City Rovers have to do when they played earlier Central League clashes in Wellington, the side had a lengthy bus trip in the hours leading up to kick-off.

“We set off at 9am for a 4pm kick-off,” Robertson said. “It certainly doesn’t make your preparation easy.

“We got a goal after two minutes but didn’t particularly start the game well. We seemed a bit flat for the first 20 minutes, whether it was a long bus trip [I don’t know]. We were sat on a bus for five hours prior to the game, but I don’t like making excuses about things like that.

“Our form all season away from home has not been as good as it has been at home. It is something that we probably need to look at, at how we can travel better.

“We have only lost to one team all year at home [Wellington Olympic] which is a good achievement. But then when we go on the road we are just not quite as dominant.”

Napier City Rovers’ location means longer travel is just a part of the reality when taking on opposition in the main centres.

Team management will look at how travel preparations for some away trips could change. One option could be potentially leaving Napier on the eve of games, something that would ensure players are fresh for game day.

Napier City Rovers’ opponents on Saturday sit in fourth spot going into the final round robin clash.

Wellington Olympic and Auckland City have already secured the top-two spots and will play-off for the title in the final at Mt Smart Stadium on December 4.

“We want to see if we can give a good account of ourselves and obviously try and pick up some more points,” Robertson said of Saturday’s clash with Auckland United. “We feel like we are a bit short of where we potentially could be in terms of points.

“We want to go up there and try and finish the season with a result. That obviously won’t be easy but we are looking forward to it.”

Robertson said the 4-3 loss to Melville United was “another reasonable performance against a good side”.

A missed penalty stopped the side from levelling 4-4 in the second half.

Napier City Rovers were then unlucky not to make the most of sustained pressure, and several cracking chances, late in the second half.

The hard work won’t end at fulltime on Saturday.

Napier City Rovers player-coach Bill Robertson hopes the majority of the squad will be back next season. Photo / Neil Reid

Robertson said the coaching and playing staff would carry out a post-season to which would cover both the many things that have gone well for the club this year – starting with qualifying for the National League – and how they can be even more successful next year.

“It is very much about planning for next year now.

“We will have a season debrief after the final game, we will come together and will discuss what has gone well, how we can improve as a team, how we can improve as a club from a playing aspect and also from individual accountability from players . . . to try and make us better and push us to that next level.

“We qualified [for the National League] this year and that is obviously the goal next year, but also continue to improve and challenge for major titles. It is not going to be easy, but that will be the message.”

One of the keys there would be game management at crucial times; both in terms of capitalising on sustained dominance and ensuring they didn’t drop off with defensive intensity and avoid giving away soft goals.

Work will be done on confirming next season’s player roster, with Robertson saying he expected the majority of the 2022 squad to be back.

“Overall, we are delighted with how it has gone getting to the National League. But obviously it is all about striving for improvement and that will be the focus.”

Just how deep Napier City Rovers progressed in the 2022 season after the National League qualification will see players have a delayed start to next year’s pre-season campaign.

Players will get all of December off, and likely the majority of January, before preparing for the 2023 Central League which begins in late March.

“I am mindful it has been a long, long season so we will certainly give the boys a bit of time off,” Robertson said.