Football: Rovers, Greeks share points

HIGH FIVES: Ryan Tinsley (left) congratulates Tom Biss on his first goal.

In the best game of the season at Park Island, Napier City Rovers and Wellington Olympic have shared the points in Napier today.

The Conroy Removals-sponsored hosts managed a 2-2 stalemate against the Greeks in an arm wrestle at Bluewater Stadium in their top-of-the-table Lotto Central League football match.

The hosts' opened their account in the 24th minute, 1-0, after the Olympic defence thwarted a couple of attempts before midfielder Tom Biss pounced on a ricocheted ball to crisply put it past goalkeeper Scott Basalaj from inside the 18m box.

Two minutes later, the Rovers should have gone up 2-0 but winger Josh Stevenson got in the way of striker Stephen Hoyle, returning from an injury layoff, with an open goalmouth gone begging.

Cruelly it was the visitors who equalised, 1-1, from a 29th-minute speculator from midfielder Sam Blackburn who floated a shot from about 45m out on the left flank as the ball sailed into the top of the net with goalkeeper Kyle Baxter all out to sea.

Olympic pressed in the final stages of the half but the Rovers had the last say when Biss yioelded a few oohs and aahs after his freekick dipped over the crossbar.

Olympic have picked up two yellow cards to defenders.

In the 57th minute, Blackburn scored the goal of the season, 2-1, when he converted a gob-smacking flatliner from the goal line after running on to a through ball from Mario Barcia.

Blackburn stopped the ball from going over the line, drew keeper Baxter out and then curled it around a Blues defender to clip the far post.

Stung into action, the Blues struck back almost with a minute of restarting, 2-2, to roaring approval.

Biss ran down right flank and in one motion drifted a cross from the corner to find Stevenson who nodded the ball into the net past keeper Basalaj.

However, the Blues faithful released a huge sigh of relief in the 63rd minute when keeper Baxter kicked a ball back into play, precariously close to two Olympic players lurking in the middle.

"Get him off the park," irate fans chorused before jeering their keeper who caught a high ball minutes later.

In the 70th minute, Olympic's job became harder when referee John Rowbury flashed defender Gonzalo Amado a second yellow card for an early shower.

In the 81st minute, Baxter made a heart-stopping save after Barcia, winning possession in his third after weathering the Blues storm, beat midfielder Ryan Tinsley before unleashing from inside his half but the gloveman this time defied gravity to catch the ball with one hand.

With a minute of regulation time to go, the Rovers should have pipped ahead but a hobbling Hoyle, who should have been substituted minutes earlier, didn't do justice to a Fergus Neil cross from the right flank, after centreback Bill Robertson flicked a throw-in to Tinsley in the engine room.

Tinsley then put it out wide to Biss who fed rightback Neil runniong down the line in a great passage of play but to no avail.