Soccer: Huge Rovers win resuscitates soccer league

By Bob Pearce

Napier City Rovers beat Manawatu 8-0 yesterday and in the process made the North Island soccer league into a contest again.

Central, who did not play at the weekend, still lead by 10 points, but Napier have two games in hand.

The other big movers at the weekend were Waitakere, who beat Metro 3-2 to draw level on points in third place with Mt Wellington and Manawatu.

Napier's scoring blitz has vastly improved their goal difference, though they are still well adrift of the mark Central achieved when they still had their international players.

Mark Harrison and Martin Akers both scored two and the others came from Robbie Parker, Chris McIvor, Jeremy Brown and Jonathon Taylor.

Waitakere came from 1-2 down at halftime to snatch the winner against Metro in the closing minutes at Albie Turner Field.

Veteran striker Darren McClennan put them ahead after only four minutes but Metro were quickly level through Stuart Mair and after 34 minutes took the lead after Danny McHenery fastened on to a poor clearance from a corner.

In the 65th minute Terry Torrens had an equaliser disallowed for offside but it was only a short respite for Metro as Andrew Campbell scored seven minutes later after his initial shot had been parried.

Torrens was involved in the winner when his fierce shot in the 89th minute was stopped but not held by goalkeeper Grant Schofield and Ryan Dawkins was on hand to finish the job.

In the other Auckland game, North Shore came from 0-2 down to share the points with Western Suburbs at Allen Hill Stadium.

Shore included former All White Tim Stevens, back from a lengthy break in Europe and he had three reasonable scoring chances in an evenly contested first spell.

But Western Suburbs player-coach Martin Disley came closest to breaking the deadlock before halftime when he had two shots in quick succession well saved by goalkeeper Scott Bishop.

Within five minutes of the restart Disley did score when a long cross left him with an unchallenged header in front of goal. Suburbs went 2-0 up when Tony Meinem scored after a right-wing corner and once more Shore seemed likely to play some pretty football but lose.

All that changed in the space of 90s. Dean Dodds drove home Shore's first goal from the edge of the penalty area in the 71st minute and almost from the restart Mark Foy scored the second from close range.

It was no coincidence that the Shore goals followed the introduction of rangy youngster Rob Ward, who added some punch to the attack as Stevens' match fitness ebbed.

At the other end of the age scale there was much to admire in the way veteran Billy Harris managed to contribute in attack and defence until the final whistle.

Shore's draw has moved them five points ahead of last-placed Melville but still five behind Lower Hutt, who are 10th in the 14-team league.

Melville held Wellington Olympic scoreless until halftime only for a Jared Curtis goal to earn the visitors the points in the second half.

Mt Wellington, who had started the day level on points with Manawatu in second place fell 0-1 in the first half. Leigh Kenyon scored for the Mount in the second spell, but Tim Butterfield and Graham Little made it 3-1 to Miramar.