SOCCER: Star Napier team flops

Of all the Central Soccer teams to lose on day one of the national age-group tournament at Park Island, Napier the under-14 boys were the last anyone expected.
The glamour team of the five Central side's on show, they had an unexpected 2-0 loss to United Soccer 1 (North Harbour and Northland), as the rest of Central's teams recorded excellent wins against the same opposition.
"It was a very good day for Central," said tournament controller and Central Soccer Western Region manager David Lawrie.
"Funnily enough though, the team that has probably our best chance of winning a title - the 14 boys - were unfortunately our only team that had a loss. But it was only their first game and you can't read too much into it.
"As with the 13s last year, their only loss was against Auckland (Soccer2) and most of that team has come through again, so we've got pretty high hopes for them. Our 16s girls, who won 1-0, are probably one of the favourites for their competition and they started well.
"Our 14s girls and 13s boys are a bit of an unknown quantity, because they've never played at this level before, but they both had good wins," said Lawrie.
All the Central teams play Soccersouth (Otago and Southland) today, with Lawrie predicting wins in all grades. The real tests will come on Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they meet Capital, Mainland (Canterbury) and Soccer2.
"Well, they can train together all the time you see," said Lawrie.
"Our teams have probably been preparing for the last three or four months and we've been getting together every weekend in Palmerston North. It requires a big commitment from the parents, especially the Poverty Bay ones, to get the players around."
Given those difficulties, Lawrie says Hawke's Bay United's Football Academy has been a Godsend, meaning at least a big chunk of each squad is working together a lot of the time.
"You can definitely tell the ones that are at the academy - it makes a hell of a difference," he said.