Blues striker Stephen Hoyle is taking his hat off to Miramar Rangers. Photo / Duncan Brown
When the bling begins to slip from one's grasp, things can start to become quite blurry during a football campaign especially at the business end of the season.
For Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers, at face value anyway, things may come across somewhat bleak when you hear go-to man Tom Biss is out of the away Lotto Central League kick off at 2.30pm tomorrow against Wellington United. If that wasn't enough, assistant coach Chris Greatholder found out yesterday he will join Biss after referee Antony Riley ordered him off the sideline last Sunday.
But Rovers player Stephen Hoyle has urged Bluewater Stadium faithful not to despair as the defending champions attempt to become only the second side in the history of the competition to win back-to-back titles.
Miramar Rangers, who have slayed the Blues twice this season, are the only ones to have achieved that feat.
"It's not all doom and gloom so we have to remember how good we are," says Hoyle, after Miramar beat a 10-man Rovers 2-1 in the last round to push player-coach Bill Robertson and his troops into the dreaded mire of mathematical equations.
Rangers also caused Rovers heartache on June 26 when they pipped them 4-3 in extra time at Park Island to progress to the next round of the Chatham Cup (national knockout) competition.
"We've only lost to two teams in the region this season and obviously twice to Rangers," says the 23-year-old English import after Stop Out beat the Blues 3-1 away on May 28.
Last Sunday the Danny Wilson and Finlay Milne co-captained team also surrendered their grip on the O'Brien Challenge Shield to Miramar.
Hoyle now has "a whole lot of respect" for Rangers, who he feels boast a shadow Team Wellington side from the ASB Premiership in the national summer competition.
"Miramar are a very good team and you don't beat us unless you are one."
He prefers to look at the Rovers as a "provincial club" which has commendably retained most of its Central League squad from the previous season and is up against city slickers who aren't shy to turn over players.
"We have players who can play in any league in the country," says Hoyle, feeling compelled to back his teammates who inject character in a pool of talent despite a rash of injuries.
"When the backs are against the wall I wouldn't want to be in any other team because I want to be with winners like Bill Robertson."
He is confident Rovers will win their remaining four games - Stop Out at home the following Sunday before away games against cellar dwellers Lower Hutt City (August 13) and a postponed affair against Palmerston North Marist at a date to be set.
Hoyle hastens to add table-topping Wellington Olympic have to face contenders Miramar, Stop Out and Western Suburbs.
"I'll be very surprised if Olympic win all three," he says, questioning how the Greeks will handle their top-rung status after belonging to a chasing pack for the most part of this winter.
"We have nothing to lose and they'll now have the target on their backs."
Robertson says Biss' sending off for a studs-up tackle had to be put in context with the game which also featured a crude sliding hack from behind on Blues rightback Fergus Neil.
"The ref's impact was very disappointing, rightly or wrongly," says the centreback, loath to criticise officials while saying it didn't just affect their game but redefined their season.
Wellington United, who beat Miramar 5-1, a fortnight ago have been resurgent.
The Blues will be without Harry Morton, who has returned to his US college, and Ross Willox who is on a US scholarship hunt.
Back-up goalkeeper and mentor Kyle Baxter will turn out for the club's HB Knockout Cup side tomorrow as Robertson brings on Wellington gloveman Scott Dunn as well as reserve grade players to bolster his squad.