PN Marist v Rovers, Memorial Park
It's never easy for players to be standing on the sideline watching, when they can be on the paddock trying to make a difference.
Even if you are Bill Robertson who assumes the mantle of player/coach while recovering from surgery to his ankle.
The Bluewater Napier City Rovers player is over it now, of course, after returning to the starting line-up in the 3-0 drubbing of Wairarapa United in Napier last Sunday in their Lotto Central League soccer match between the third and fourth-placed sides.
The centreback came off the bench for 20 minutes in a rusty Chatham Cup clash in the derby against Your Solutions Taradale AFC a fortnight ago.
"It wasn't that we were defending poorly or anything like that but I always planned to play when I was feeling fit," Robertson says of the Danny Wilson-captained Rovers who travel to the other side of the gorge tomorrow to play round seven against Palmerston North Marist.
He didn't allude to it but Robertson's injection ensured the Rovers kept a clean sheet.
He enjoys the benefits of standing on the sideline and having a better view of the game.
"I'm enjoying coaching and we're having a reasonable season so I'm quite happy."
The Kinetic Electrical Hawke's Bay United captain injured his ankle four years ago and it became a recurring one.
"I needed surgery pre-season but I played a full season [for Bay United] and sometimes on heavy drugs to see the campaign through," he says, after going under a surgeon's knife to deal with the "fibia fusing with the tibia".
Robertson stresses he has coached to a "reasonable level" in the Central Federation League and national youth league before the Rovers offered him the Central League stint this winter.
"It's a lot different to preparing as a player because as a coach/player I have a lot more things to think about," he says, adding it becomes a balancing act at times.
He is not shy to consult and bounce ideas off veteran midfielder and Bay United coach Chris Greatholder.
He hastens to add manager Malcolm Wilson and team physiotherapist Alex Gairdiner are equally helpful with their sound knowledge of the game.
The game against the fifth-placed Marist team will be just as interesting as it was against the fourth-placed Wairarapa although the latter "didn't get out of our van" for the first 20 minutes.
Adding to the hosts' confidence from last weekend's thumping of last-placed Upper Hutt City 5-1 will be a sense of self-belief that they have inflicted pain on the visitors previously - knocking the Blues out of the Chatham Cup in round three on penalty kicks (4-2) at nearby Skoglund Park after the sides were locked 1-1.
Deservedly earning promotion to the Central League this season from the Central Federation League, Marist quickly earned respect from rival sides.
That hybrid quality includes Bay United striker Tomas Mosquera and an adroit goalkeeper Gurkarnvir Singh, a 24-year-old police officer who travels from Wanganui to help the collective. He had thwarted two penalty kicks in the cup.
Robertson says Marist have shown some steely resolve this season and are great exponents of displaying hard-work ethics.
"Our cup game was tough and they have had a few decent results."
They have won only two games and are sitting a point behind Wairarapa, while the Rovers have four to their credit.
The Blues host Petone FC the following Saturday and will reload for the second round of the Chatham Cup match against Wellington Olympic on Queen's Birthday Monday, June 2.