For the second week running, Thirsty Whale Napier City Rovers hit the back of the net five times as they came from behind to overwhelm Whanganui Athletic 5-1 at Wembley Park on Saturday.

Napier coach Bill Robertson had a couple of enforced changes to his starting eleven with both Alex Mort and Kenny Willox unavailable. Cam Emerson came into midfield for Willox, and 34-year-old JC Mack got his first start of the season in place of Mort. Sixteen-year-old Harry Huxford came off the bench to get first taste of Central League football for Rovers.

Played under superb conditions for football and with a strong and parochial home crowd in attendance, Athletic gave as good as they got in the first 20 minutes and took the lead after 24 minutes when Napier could only half clear a corner and Jordon Joblin-Hall’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected past an unsighted Oscar Mason in the Napier goal.

This sparked Napier into action, and they hit back immediately with Emerson, Jonny McNamara, and Deri Corfe working well to create space for Christian Leopard to hammer home an equaliser within 60 seconds.

From this point Napier were the better team and it seemed only a matter of time before they took the lead with McNamara having a series of chances, and Corfe hitting the post after one of his now trademark mazy runs.

Despite the dominance from the visitors, it remained all square heading into the break.

Napier again dominated the opening period of the second half and were creating some good openings only for a lack of composure in front of goal to let them down. Athletic, to their credit defended admirably and with intent, and were sensing an upset before Robertson made his first change of the afternoon introducing Sam Lack for Mack. With literally his first touch of the game, Lack squeezed a ball through a crowd for a late run from Emerson down the right. With just Athletic keeper Matt Calvert to beat, Emerson unselfishly looked to square to Corfe who had his shot blocked and the ball fell back to Lack who calmly finished from 15 yards out. It was no more than the Blues deserved and an immediate demonstration of what Lack can provide in the attacking third.

Athletics’ afternoon then took a turn for the worse when they went down to 10 men after Melvin Rumere received his second yellow of the afternoon. 

Napier continued to create chances but could not to kill the game off and Athletic nearly got back on terms when substitute Perry Stewart got in behind the Napier back four and smashed a shot against Mason’s cross bar. Napier were eventually able to give themselves some breathing space when McNamara, who was cutting a frustrated figure and probably thinking it wasn’t to be his day, was gifted a chance when Calvert and defender Jake Simcox got in a tangle and left McNamara with a simple headed finish from a yard out to double the lead.

McNamara was at it again shortly after and his second wasn’t much more difficult than the first. Lack took on his defender managing to wriggle into the penalty area and squared a perfect ball along the goal line for McNamara to finish for 4-1; and Corfe finally got in on the scoring action in injury time when he hit a lovely finish into Calvert’s top corner to take the Blues’ tally to five. Robertson was able to give runs to substitutes Harry Mason and Kaeden Atkins, while Harry Huxford made his first team debut for the club as the game drew to a close.

Robertson will no doubt be happy with both the result and the application of his team, although he may have liked to have had the game locked away a little earlier with some more clinical finishing. That said, 10 goals in the last two outings would suggest things aren’t in too bad a shape on the goal scoring front.

Athletic are a good solid outfit who do their best to play in a way that is easy on the eye and the league table doesn’t do justice to the team they are. Player-Coach Calvert is a top keeper and is instrumental in directing his team around the park while skipper Ryan Holden is a quality player. For Napier, Ian Kalu continued his excellent form with his best display of the season, Emerson grew into his role in midfield and had a great game, while the trusty old heads of Jim Hoyle and Fergus Neil hardly put a foot wrong at the back. Sam Lack made an immediate and telling impression once introduced, and Corfe and McNamara were a handful again, and both got their goals.

Thirsty Whale Napier City Rovers have a tough one next week, but are back at Bluewater Stadium to take on the Wellington Phoenix at 2pm on Sunday.

Article added: Wednesday 03 May 2023