Football: Victory shows Rovers' depth

Rovers goal scorer Angus Kilkolly zips past Wairarapa's Aaron Spierling as Paul Ifill watches in the Central League football match at Park Island, Napier, yesterday. Photo / Warren Buckland

The before-and-after-halftime spells seem to have a kind of Bermuda Triangle feel about things in sport.

What did Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers player/coach Bill Robertson say to his troops yesterday in the break that saw them come from 2-1 down to register a 3-2 result at the final whistle over archrivals Wairarapa United?

"We were slightly disappointed with our first-half performance," Robertson said, believing the lift in intensity in the second spell from his defending champions did the trick in the Lotto Central League match at Park Island, Napier.

"As soon as we did that we started to cause them problems but towards the end we started to look a little sluggish again," he said, mindful they could tidy up in certain facets but delighted to pick up three more points.

Having conceded "two sloppy goals" in set pieces in the first half the Blues didn't panic, with Robertson confident they had enough high-calibre players capable of finding the net.

"Obviously a goal just before halftime helped and allowed us to build quite convincingly in the second half."

The "end product" wasn't satisfactory for him because the Blues "could have put it to bed much earlier" in the second half with four or five goals.

"As the season goes on we'll become a little sharper and more clinical and, hopefully, continue to pick up more results."

The Hawke's Bay United pair of defender Martin Ramos Canales (30th minute) and striker Sam Mason-Smith (38th) put the Paul Ifill-coached visitors up 2-0 before Rovers striker Angus Kilkolly made it 2-1 on the stroke of halftime.

Kilkolly struck again just two minutes after play resumed to level at 2-all, before midfielder Ryan Tinsley pounced on a parried Tom Biss volley to drill the ball into the net.

"The goal before halftime killed us," player/coach Ifill said, adamant that if they had gone into the break 2-0 it would have been a different story.

"The goal took the wind out of our sails a little and the boys were despondent."

The hosts' adjusted aim was to win the second half and he said they did that pretty smartly.

Ifill said new Wellington Phoenix signing Tam Dimairo's attempt at goal in the dying minutes should have been a penalty.

"You're not likely to get it up here with a couple of minutes left, you know.

"I thought he was kicked from behind [in the 18m box]. Maybe he should have gone down. I'm not condoning that he should fall over but if you look at other referees' decisions it might have been different," he said of a match where Bluewater Stadium faithful heckled referee Matt Stoneman, especially in the first half.

Ifill said his team were improving compared with last year's two games when the two results were lopsided, so he was proud of his men, especially with a few young guns in the mix.

The Rovers play Petone away this Saturday.