They say you learn more from losses than wins and champions Napier City Rovers will attest to that after playing against the Wellington Phoenix in Palmerston North yesterday.
The Thirsty Whale-sponsored Blues succumbed 5-0 to the A-League high fliers in the Transtasman competition campaigners' pre-season match at the Central EnergyTrust Arena.
The Yellow Fever-backed flagship professional team in the country opened up a 4-0 halftime blitz through the likes of striker Roy Krishna (two goals) and Tom Doyle.
"In the first 30 minutes of the game our lads struggled with, I guess, the pace of the game which is to be expected against a team who train every day," said Blues player/coach Bill Robertson of his side, who became the Ultra Football Central League champions the previous weekend.
Robertson said the Phoenix were clinical at the coal face in the opening half hour, creating five chances to leave the Rovers reeling at 3-0.
"Once we got the grips we started jumping into good areas of the game ourselves, especially in the second half when we had a penalty shout, which was a definite one because Martin Bueno had been brought down," the centreback said of the Uruguyan striker who was the Central League golden boot.
"All their players agreed it was definitely a penalty."
Ironically the James Hoyle-skippered side missed a penalty in the second half through Bueno when Phoenix's Polish import goalkeeper, Filip Kurto, from Dutch side Roda JC Kerkrade, denied him.
"He made a couple of good one-on-one saves too in the second half. [Vice-captain] Josh Stevenson had one and the keeper's made a good save so we certainly had our moments in the game."
Robertson said he would like to have walked off the park with his troops knowing they had just encountered a royal battle.
"The players would have enjoyed it but realised they were playing a side a couple of tiers up where the speed and fitness were a big part."
So the Phoenix look like playoff material?
"It's hard to say with them not playing any A-League opposition yet but from the Rovers' point of view it was a cap for us and we enjoyed it so, hopefully, we van do it again," he said.
The Mark Rudan-coached Phoenix kick off their campaign at 5pm against former coach and Brisbane Roar incumbent Ernie Merrick at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, on Labour Day weekend, Sunday, October 21.
Bill Robertson likes to think the Rovers walked off the park knowing they had just encountered a royal battle against the Wellington Phoenix. Photo / File
