United to face Napier Rovers

WAIRARAPA United will take on one of the greats of New Zealand soccer in the second round of the Chatham Cup national knockout men's competition.
They will face up to Napier City Rovers at Park Island, Napier on Sunday, May 22 and coach Phil Keinzley says his team are "very excited" at the prospect.
"They (Napier City Rovers) are pretty much a legend in their own lifetime," he said. "Having the opportunity to play them is huge...we're really looking forward to it."
Founded in February 1973 after an amalgamation between Napier Rovers AFC and Napier City AFC, Napier City Rovers have done it all.
They were national club champions in 1989, 1993, 1998 and 2000 and runners-up for that title in 1994, 1997 and 2002.
Chatham Cup success come their way in 1985, 1993, 2000 and 2002 and they have the magnificent record of being judged New Zealand Club of the Year on no fewer than eight occasions?. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001.
In their earlier days they competed at central league division one level and won that championship in 1991, 1986, 1994 and 1999.
Keinzley himself has watched Napier City Rovers play high profile games on numerous occasions and rates them along with Wellington-based Miramar Rangers as the best club sides he has seen in his 20-year plus involvement with soccer.
"When you talk soccer you talk Napier City Rovers and Miramar Rangers, you just can't get away from them," he said. "They have been there, done that so many times it's got to the stage you basically take any success they have for granted."
With Wairarapa United currently playing in the Capital division one competition-where they have gone through six games without defeat- their playing Napier City Rovers could be likened to the Wairarapa-Bush rugby team taking on the Crusaders Super 12 side.
"That's the sort of challenge it is for us," Keinzley said. "We haven't been beaten this season but you simply can't compare the quality of the opposition we've had to Napier City Rovers. It would be a world apart."
So much so that if Wairarapa United were to keep the score between the two sides to below double figures they would be able to claim a moral victory.
"I would say that if they don't win by at least 10 goals Napier City Rovers will think they've had a bad game," he said.
But that doesn't mean that Wairarapa United will be treating this fixture as just another game.
Keinzley says his players were well aware it could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to strut their stuff on such a high stage and they were eager to take up the challenge.
"Quite honestly it's a win, win situation for us," he said. "We've got absolutely nothing to lose so we can just go out there and give it our best shot.
And hopefully we'll surprise a lot of people with how well we do."
Keinzley is also optimistic that a good number of the Wairarapa soccer fraternity will travel to Napier to give their support.
"It would be the biggest game Wairarapa United have ever played and that makes it something special for our supporters too," he said.