Rovers import striker Martin Bueno employed 'a bit of clever play' although this appeal for a penalty kick was turned down. Photo/Paul Taylor
Napier City Rovers claimed three valuable points but had to toil hard for them against Wellington Olympic in Napier today.
The table-topping Thirsty Whale-sponsored Blues went into halftime 1-0 up but found the Greeks a much harder proposition in the second half before coming away with a 2-1 victory in round 12 of the Ultra Football Central League match at Park Island.
The fourth-placed Olympic looked dangerous at times, asking the Blues a few questions with well-timed crosses that went begging throughout the game.
In fact, they were unlucky not to hit the highway back to the capital city with at least a point as they came close to equalising in the second half.
The hosts opened their account when gold boot contender Martin Bueno put them ahead from a penalty kick in the 28th minute.
The Uruguayan striker had done all the work in the 18m box, jinxing Hawke's Bay United midfielder Gavin Hoy into bringing him down before stepping up to coolly slot the ball past goalkeeper James Bellam for a 1-0 lead.
Rovers midfielder centre-mid Karan Mandair gave the Bluewater Stadium faithful something to ooh about with a 25m attempt that sailed precariously close over the crossbar three minutes before the sides went into halftime.
But Mandair didn't make a mistake three minutes into the second half when he curled a ball from the top right-hand corner of the 18m box into the top of his left top corner of the net to reduce Bellam to a spectator for a 2-0 lead.
It was a deserving result for the Hastings teenager who had a movement earlier made a surge into the attacking third to unselfishly put Canadian import Patryk Misik into a position to shoot but the ensuing attempt had deflected back to him.
The Blues then gave their goalkeeper, Ruben Parker Hanks, a standing ovation as Aucklander Mackenzie Waite, a Bay United reserve, came on. Hanks is off to his birth country of Spain.
"It was a bit of mixed emotions. I'm excited about what's ahead but I'm very sad to leave the club that I love," said the Hawke's Bay United gloveman who had lived in Spain for a decade.
His brother, Jordan, 25, is waiting for him in Spain where Hanks hopes to catch up with some familiar faces.
The keeper was hoping to attend trials to play in the semi-pro third (2B) or fourth (3A) divisions.
"I've got a coach there who is sorting out trials for me. It's a little bit better than the national league [ISPS Handa Premiership] here so it'll be a bit of a step up so I'm hoping I can do that."
Hanks, who is waiting for a visa and intends travelling within a month, thanked anyone who supported him through the Rovers or Bay United and said he would miss them.
Rovers club president Barrie Hughes later led a robust rendition of Viva Espania to the clubroom chorus to farewell him.
The Greeks pulled it back to 2-1 in the 59th minute when Gianni Bouzoukis headed in a shot that had deflected from Cristian Baz after Blues centreback/coach Bill Robertson coughed up soft possession in the 18m box.
English import leftback Liam Shackleton picked up an unnecessary yellow card in the 62nd minute, testing the patience of referee Jason Marshall as he knelt down to tie his boot laces right in front of the opposition player on the wooden stand of the park, waiting to take a free kick.
Baz came close to equalising but keeper Waite tipped his chip shot over the crossbar in the 70th minute.
It was Daniel Mulholland's turn to clip the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
Veteran Jimmy Haidakis replaced Bouzoukis soon after.
However, it was a through ball from Blues defender Danny Wilson that found Bueno who had turned the ball into Misik just inside the top of the 18m box but keeper Bellam was equal to the low drive, parrying the ball with a dive from his right upright.
The next five minutes belonged to the visitors as they raided the Blues goalmouth but could only managed to slam the final shots into the side of the net.
Blues assistant coach Stu James took off Sho Goto and injected BJ Christensen.
Olympic coach Shaun Easthope also rang changes, yanking off Jacob Masseurs and Baz and rolling on Furkan Kocku and Seth Ward.
Olympic coach Shaun Easthope agreed the Alexander Palezevic-captained side deserved at least a point.
"To leave Park Island today without anything is disappointing, to say the least, for the boys," Easthope said.
He felt the Bueno penalty was "a clever bit of play" but until then he thought his men were in the game although he could not fault Mandair's goal.
"It was a crucial moment to be one down at halftime but we still felt quite confident," he said, feeling unlucky because they had clipped the woodwork numerous times.
Asked to elaborate on the penalty, Easthope said smart players knew when to make the right moves to suck players into making challenges they shouldn't.
"I don't know, it was 50-50 for me but he's a clever player."
Easthope paid tribute to the immediate past coaches at Olympic for investing in young blood who showed today the future was bright for the club with a traditionally Greek base.
"It's important for the club to have Greek players, such as Jimmy Haidakis, around. Another player, Gianni Bouzoukis, is also a Greek kid.
"No matter where in the world you come from we want to develop players," he said.
The team have a Syrian in Othman as well as Canadian American in Apostolis Apostolopoulos.
"We pride ourselves on that. We're a Greek community so Greeks are really important to us."
Easthope last played here in 2002 in a year they went on to win the Chatham Cup. His brother is in charge of Stop Out Sports Club team in Central League.
"The facilities here are great and you have a pretty one-eyed vocal crowd so I think that's great for football," he said.
The Rovers have a bye in the next round, which is bracketed for the cup round, after bowing out from the national knockout campaign on Queen's Birthday weekend.
They will travel to Wellington to face the Declan Edge-coached defending champions Advanced Electrical Western Suburbs on July 1.