Football: No love will be lost in Rovers v Wairarapa

Napier City Rovers captain Danny Wilson (left) defends against Western Suburbs player Ihaia Delaney in Napier. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

They have been good mates with some of them over summer but that'll count for nothing tomorrow in Napier.

"They are a bunch of lads we all get on with but on Sunday on the pitch there'll be no love lost so we will leave our friendship behind for 90 minutes," says Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers captain Danny Wilson before they run out at 2pm against archrivals Wairarapa United at Bluewater Stadium in the Lotto Central League encounter.

Wilson, a good crop of his Blues players as well as a few from Wairarapa were part of the squad under Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell during the 2015-16 ASB Premiership over summer.

A few seasons ago, under former coach Phil Keinzley, the visitors quite often had the wood on the Rovers but that has changed in the past couple of years in the premier men's winter league football in the Capital and Central regions.

Centreback Wilson is mindful of that and is happy to have flicked the collar of underdogs to the now Paul Ifill-coached Wairarapa United.

Ifill, who was player/assistant coach with Angell, has lured some of the Bay United players such goalkeeper Joshua Hill, Martin Canales, Godwin Addai, Sam Mason Smith to join captain Cory Chettleburgh, who was the Bay franchise vice-captain.

The Blues, who are the defending champions, have unblemished record to date this winter although they drew their first game against Western Suburbs at home.

Player-coach Bill Robertson, defender Fergus Neil and striker Saul Halpin are all on duty with Team Wellington in the O-League in Auckland but their ascendancy speaks volumes of the hosts' depth.

They are coming off an away 2-1 victory over Team Wellington last weekend while Wairarapa registered a 2-1 win over a Lower Hutt City side.

The return of player-coach Ifill to the starting XI boosted team morale.

Addai in the engine room will be interesting in what will be his second appearance for the club and his first start.

ROVERS: 1. Ruben Parker (GK), 2. Daniel Ball, 3. Harry Morton, 4. Rob Pearson, 5. Fin Milne, 6. Matt Bruin, 7. Steve Hoyle, 8. Ryan Tinsley, 9. Angus Kilkolly, 10. Saul Halpin, 11. Tom Biss, 12. Fane Morgan, 14. Josh Stevenson, 15. Jim Hoyle, 16. Danny Wilson (c), 17. Fergus Neil, 18. Ross Willox, 19. Bill Robertson, 20. Stu Wilson, 21. Kyle Baxter.

Player/coach: Bill Robertson.
Ast coach: Chris Greatholder.
Team manager: Jim Neil.
Video analyst: Tim Motu.
Physio: Alex Gairdiner.
GK coach: Kyle Baxter.

WAIRARAPA UTD: Josh Hill (GK), 2. Taylor Hall Jones, 3. Riley Haymes, 4. Martin Canales, 5. Godwin Addai, 6. Thomas Scott, 7. Callum Elliot, 8. Paul Ifill, 9 Mark Hemi, 10. Sam Mason Smith, 11. Cory Chettleburgh (c), 12. Laim Kerr, 14. Aaron Spierling, 15. Oranay Singh, 16. Josh McMenamin, 19. Adam Cowan.

Coach: Paul Ifill.