Rovers v Wgtn Utd
Park Island, Napier
IT'S NEVER a pleasant feeling losing one's perch in a squad at any stage of one's career, be it as a child or an adult.
What adds to that frustration is not knowing why the coach has dropped the player.
Cole Peverley may have some hunches but what's eating him is the uncertainty surrounding why he fell out of the All Whites equation under Ricki Herbert who was also the coach at Wellington Phoenix.
"I just fell out of his equation so I'm not sure why," says the 24-year-old midfielder who was the 24th man on the 2010 World Cup soccer roster.
In a dog-eat-dog world, a change of culture or regime can easily equate to a new lease of life and that's exactly what Peverley is banking on.
The options in New Zealand are limited but do-able, albeit something he can't control.
With the impending arrival of Ernie Merrick at the helm of Wellington Phoenix, Peverley fancies his chances of at least a fresh look for plying his trade in the A-League.
The 60-year-old Scotsman and former Melbourne Victory title-winning coach, who replaces Herbert in the 2013-14 summer season of the Transtasman league, could throw the Olympian a lifeline.
"I just keep playing how I'm playing and see if I'm asked [to trials].
"A new coach might look at me and like what I do and give me a chance," says Peverley before running out for Bluewater Napier City Rovers in their Central League match against Wellington United in Napier tomorrow.
The defending champions, who have had a sluggish start to their winter campaign, kick off at 2pm at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island.
With Phoenix assistant coach Jonathan Gould, of Napier, attending the Rovers' training under coach Grant Hastings for the past few weeks Peverley is hoping the word will filter through to the A-League franchise of his evolving prowess.
"I'm not the only one who is doing well, the whole team was good last season," he says of the Bill Robertson-captained Blues.
It helps that under Robertson the Kinetic Electrical Hawke's Bay United team made history last summer under Hawke's Bay Coach of the Year Chris Greatholder in qualifying for the ASB Premiership playoffs for the first time in its eight years of existence in the summer competition.
At the risk of sounding presumptuous, Peverley isn't shy to put himself out there in slipping on a New Zealand shirt once more.
"I reckon I'm playing better now then when I made the New Zealand squad three seasons ago. If I play good then they can't overlook me."
The solid midfielder, who has had a penchant of collecting yellow cards in previous seasons, had a four-year professional contract with Charleston Battery in the American Major League Soccer (MLS) in South Carolina.
Unable to stay more than three months with the Seattle Sounders FC because of their "foreigners' rule", Peverley became surplus to requirements when the MLS club released him to Charleston.
Cruelly, he broke his ankle - for the third time in the same spot - and it took him five weeks to get back into Charleston Battery's season.
Auckland-born Peverley feels the MLS and United Kingdom standard is better than what the A-League offers so going overseas is still a bigger lure, not to mention the pay cheque.
Having found stability since settling in Napier he built a better constitution as he works for Hastings' company GJ Training, honing youngsters' soccer skills.
"I'm a lot more settled in Napier."
Peverley finds comfort in the belief that players improve as they get older.
"Some say you're at your best at 28 and I'm just 24 so as I get older I'll start hitting my straps and will start getting better and better."
Throw in the word "maturity" and the yardstick, he believes, is reflected in not picking up yellow cards in his last four league games.
"I play a smarter game so letting people kick me sometimes is the way to go," he says with a laugh although he impresses it's pivotal for midfielders to "break up play by being more physical", especially pertaining to the gospel of Herbert.
No doubt, claiming three points against Wellington tomorrow is on the cards as the Rovers are still seeking their first victory in Central League on their home turf. They had a 7-0 win over lower-tier premiership side Wainuiomata last Sunday in a Chatham League match here.
Peverley reiterates the views of five-goal scorer Danny Wilson in elevating that pattern of attacking football and confidence to the Central League and Chatham Cup campaigns, considering they play Wairarapa United here the following weekend in round three of the cup competition.
"I was talking to Danny and a couple of boys so we're looking forward to a hard game [against Wairarapa]," he says of the former Chatham Cup champions who beat Rovers in the final but lost 1-0 to them last year.
However, the green machine beat the Rovers 3-1 last month in a league match to set up another mouth-watering clash.
"We know what they can do but we didn't have our best game the last round."
Wellington coach Graham Little accepts sitting second last on the league ladder, with a win and a draw, is a sacrifice worth making in injecting youth.
"We're not Miramar or Wairarapa so we don't have big money," says the former Miramar player/coach, content to go up with his young charges through defeats after earning promotion to the premier winter league in 2011.
Little, 40, says he has a typical young outfit who show flashes of brilliance but also tend to let themselves down with silly mistakes.
"It's quite an exciting time for the young lads because Napier is one of the better teams to play against in the league," he says, surprised with the Blues' record this winter considering "it's always a hard place to get three points".
Sean Peta shuffles up to the bench as reserve goalkeeper with Matt Gould heading off to Lower Hutt City where Scott Basalaj is part of the New Zealand Under-20 squad.
Sam Lawson and Rudi Bauerfeind return to the ComputerCare Pacific Premiership side while Corey Jensen, Josh Anstis and schoolboy defender Nick Chatterton move up to Central League bench duties.
"Jonty [Underhill] has been in good form in the goal," Hastings explains, adding Gould was at Lower Hutt but returned with father Jonny Gould, considering Basalaj is the first-choice gloveman there.
Hastings agrees claiming three points is vital in the last game of the first round with fewer than 13 points on the ladder and giving Wairarapa a nudge in the cup clash the following Sunday at home.
"We're very capable so we'll just have to put things together on the day. We've shown some definite improvements in the past couple of matches to show we're gradually growing into the season," he says, predicting the Rovers will beat most teams in the second half of the season.
BOTH TEAMS
NAPIER CITY ROVERS: Bill Robertson (c), Jonty Underhill (GK), Regan Cameron, Aaron Jones, Scott Henderson, Ezequiel Dondiz, Fane Morgan, Andy Bevin, Harley Rodeka, Josh Stevenson, Danny Wilson, Patrick Pilz, Nick Chatterton, Corey Jensen, Josh Anstis, Regan Josh, Sean Peta (RGK).
Coach: Grant Hastings.
Manager: Brian Hollands.
WELLINGTON UNITED: Josh Columbus (GK), 2 Stu Laurie, 3 Nick Grice, 4 Matt Balmforth, 5 Jake Harris, 8
Hamish Smylie, 9 John O'Driscoll, 10 Andy Paterson, Sam Greene, 13 Andy Groom (c), 15 Ali Nazari, 16 Grant
Robson, 17 Lachie Waugh, 6 Mike Swinburne, 7 Chris Arceo, 18 Mohammed Aided, Jamie McKay (RGK).
Coach: Graham Little.
Manager: Bobby Minshull.
Crestfallen Hastings Boys' players were 'pretty emotional' about the incident, says coach.