Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle is impressed with his team's form in the National League - but desperately wants to turn dominance into points. Photo / Neil Reid
Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle is impressed with his team's form in the National League - but desperately wants to turn dominance into points. Photo / Neil Reid
Surging into the top half of the National League points table is very much on the mind of Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle as the team prepares for the final two matches of 2022.
The club go into Saturday afternoon’s clash with fourth-placed Melville United in Hamilton in seventh spot on the points table.
But had Napier City Rovers won a succession of earlier season games where they had the better chances on goal, the club could have been in the top four with just two round-robin matches to go.
Last Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Birkenhead United was another example. While claiming a competition point off the top-four team was impressive, Napier City Rovers could have won the match if they had made the most of their chances and dominance.
As the side prepares for the away trip to Hamilton, Hoyle said the goal for the next two weeks was clear.
“We definitely want points,” he said.
“We want to finish the season with more points than we have got. We think we deserve to have more.
“I think we said [after the Birkenhead United game] that where we sit on the table doesn’t reflect how we played. [Sunday] was an opportunity, we took a point, and could have had three.
“The weekend is a big opportunity against Melville United. We will give it everything. And again, in our last game of the season, against Auckland United, we will give it everything.”
Captain Jim Hoyle has been one of Napier City Rovers' best throughout 2022, including in both the National League and Central League. Photo / Ian Cooper
The 2022 season is the first in 20 years that Napier City Rovers has been in the National League.
Hoyle said pre-season that the side had nothing to fear from their more-fancied National League opposition.
He urged his players to “give it a good shot”; something which they have certainly done.
Napier City Rovers kicked off their season with a 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix reserves.
Then followed successive draws against Christchurch United and Miramar Rangers; both results could have been Rovers wins, especially the latter when Napier conceded a 2-0 lead very late in the game for a 2-2 draw.
Then in subsequent losses to Auckland City and Cashmere United, Napier City Rovers again enjoyed sustained periods of attack without being clinical enough on goal.
Sunday’s performance against Birkenhead United was an outstanding showing across the pitch, again reinforcing the fact that the Bill Robertson-coached team had the potential to be league high-fliers.
“I’m proud of the effort because both teams put it all on the line in tough conditions,” Hoyle said.
“I think we had the better of the chances in the game, so we’ve got to be a bit disappointed that we didn’t get three points.
“But we are happy with a point. We have ended 2022 here [at Bluewater Stadium] having only lost to one team, Wellington Olympic, which is not easy. It’s been a good year playing from home but we should have had the three points.”
Napier City Rovers captain Jim Hoyle (centre looking at camera) is impressed by the growing stature of the side's younger players. Photo / Neil Reid
Hoyle missed a trio of early-season National League games due to travel commitments.
He said he was hugely impressed with the players who stepped in for him.
He also said one of the huge positives of the 2022 National League campaign was how the club’s youngers had stepped up during the season.
“I’ve been really impressed with how some of the young boys have come through.
“They are almost making more of an impact now in National League level, than they did in Central League level. It is impressive to see that when they get minutes they start to grow into goals and assists.”
Among young talent to make big strides during the National League has been midfielder Sam Lack who last weekend won a starting spot, imposing defender Isaac Belcher, goalkeeper Oscar Mason, and midfielder Ta Eh Doe who continues to go from strength to strength.
A proud Napier City Rovers rep since 2015, he was hopeful the majority of the rising young talent he has played alongside in both the 2002 Central League and National League would again be with the club next year.’
“We have got quite a good rate of holding on to players from season to season, just because it buys into the environment,” Hoyle said.
“I hope that people will stick around and I hope we can do the same again. The goal [next year] will certainly be to qualify for the National League and see what we can do again . . . fingers crossed.”
