"It's a must-win for us because if we do, it'll put us five points ahead," he said, agreeing yesterday's match was an ideal preparation.
In the 20th minute, Rovers striker Stephen Hoyle put the Rovers up 1-0 from inside the 18m box after drilling a defensive deflection past Hawke's Bay United goalkeeper Joshua Hill.
In the 39th minute, gritty Stop Out striker Martin Packer wormed a shot past Rovers goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks to level 1-1.
Packer puffed his chest out at the Blue Stadium faithful with a "Yeah!" but the ball had clipped the foot of defender Fergus Neil to deceive the glove man.
Rovers broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when midfielder Ryan Tinsley brought a ball to heel on the left flank before angling it acutely to Saul Halpin in the box to deftly slot it into the net.
Stop Out captain/striker Micky Malivuk scuttled a golden chance to equalise moments after the kick-off but his sliding effort from point-blank range lacked impetus, allowing keeper Parker to collect.
Stop Out coach Chris Sambrooke substituted Packer in the 79th minute but ejecting Malivuk would have been a better option as the skipper butchered two more golden opportunities to take the game into extra time in the dying minutes. The visitors missed the goal scorer's foraging antics and killer instincts.
Stop Out assistant coach Scott Easthope agreed, adding Packer was a mongrel in their pack each week but a groin strain yesterday left them no choice.
"He holds a bit of quality that we rely on in games that are close so, tactically, we wouldn't take a Martin Packer out when we're trying to pinch a goal."
Easthope said without injured Andrew Abba and Steven Gulley they lacked pace and artillery in the final third.
"We enjoyed our hospitality here even though the result didn't go our way," he said with a smile.
-Cole Murray Havelock North Wanderers lost 3-0 away to Wairarapa United yesterday in Masterton.
Sam Mason-Smith struck first before Seule Soromon claimed a brace (89th, 96th).
"We kept them scoreless to about the 70-minute mark," villagers coach Bruce Barclay said, adding his counterpart, Paul Ifill, heaped plaudits on them.
Barclay said the gulf between a Central League and lower-tier Federation League, in terms of fitness and conditioning, became evident in the final quarter for his "unheralded, unfashionable troops".
"Who really rates us in reality? We were quite competitive so I'm proud of my boys."
Barclay singled out keeper Jarrod Hastings for "pulling off some top-notch saves" and centre-mid Chalie Nash, "an English boy who didn't look out of place at that level".
