Football: Leaders Napier City Rovers overwhelm Havelock North Wanderers

Wanderers midfielder Vinny McKirdy tries to push a pass before Rovers counterpart Sho Goto shuts him down at Guthrie Park, Havelock North, today. Photo / Duncan Brown

Napier City Rovers midfielder Sho Goto's English is, let us say, elementary at best but it hardly mattered because in 62 minutes on the park he didn't require words to dismantle Havelock North Wanderers today.

The Thirsty Whale-sponsored Blues, sporting a black-and-white away strip for the first time this season, predictably hammered Building King Wanderers 6-1 on a sunny but breezy day when a decent crowd had gathered at Guthrie Park.

Things looked promising in the first 10 minutes when the table-topping Rovers led 2-1 but by halftime the gulf had widened to 4-1 and the writing was on the wall for the villagers in round seven of the Ultra Football Central League derby.

"Hattrick, boy. Hattrick's on you today," said retired Central League golden boot winner Stu Wilson, as he wrapped his arms around the head of Goto to ruffle his hair before he could finish a sentence in the interview.

The 29-year-old Japanese import centre midfielder has now scored six goals in his debut season.

"I didn't think I was going to score that many goals," said the bloke from Tokyo. "I think it was the team who did all the hard work."

However, Goto said the Blues had room to improve.

Fellow centre-mid Karan Mandair drew first blood in just the fifth minute. A youthful Wanderers defence's feeble clearance in nullifying a wave of attacks from the left flank saw the 17-year-old Lindisfarne College pupil curl the ball from almost 25m out past veteran Havelock North goalkeeper Shaun Peta.

Two minutes later Uruguayan striker Martin Bueno made it 2-0 from a tap-in position, to take his season tally to seven, as Peta was left howling for an offside but the reality was the Havelock North defence were again guilty of sluggish attempts at clearances.

But the park started buzzing and the legion of chorusing Blues fans were muted in the 10th minute when Solomon Island winger Gagame Feni left Canadian counterpart Wesley Cain in a tangle on the left in the villagers' half before surging up the flank to put a ball through to striker Jared Bloor who angled a pass to right winger Liam Shackleton to score from in front of the far upright, past Rovers goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks.

But that 2-1 lead was a false dawn as Ethan Dent had a rush of blood to the head in the 13 minute when, after referee Peter Linney had awarded him a freekick when Goto held him, the Havelock North skipper threw the ball at the Japanese player's head to collect an unnecessary yellow card.

Wanderers winger Liam Shackleton arrives too late as Rovers centre-mid Patryk Misik claims possession in the Hawke's Bay derby at Guthrie Park, Havelock North, today. Photo / Duncan Brown

Blues defender Jamie Wilkinson, on the other hand, was showing his frustration in trying to keep Feni on a leash in the 16th minute although Solomon Island striker Ian Paia should have opened his account in the 21st minute.

But Goto started putting his hand up, clipping the left upright in the 23rd minute while Bueno, who has a penchant for succumbing to gravity too easily before raising his arms with vociferous appeals, should have collected a yellow card from Linney in the 29th minute for minimal contact in the box. He would have a better case if he stayed upright amid appeals.

However, it was Englishman Liam Schofield, having a stellar game as a left wing back, who covered his flank to put in a crisp cross to Goto for a tap-in 3-1 lead.

Blues fans howled for a penalty in the 35th minute but referee Linney correctly waved play on after the ball hit a defender's hand.

Realising Bueno was appealing for just about every contact, the Wanderers defenders started honing in on him before the ref cautioned both parties.

But Campbell Whitmore got too carried away for a needless foul on Bueno in the 41st minute to pick up a yellow card.

Amid all the frustration and lack of focus, Schofield again exposed rightback Ben Foxall to find Goto for a header two minutes later to extend the lead to 4-1.

When play resumed in the second half, the Blues mounted waves of attack for the best part before Goto struck for a 5-1 margin and his hattrick in the 51st minute.

A minor scuffle ensued in the 59th minute when Whitmore went down near the sideline but as the play carried on Buenos succumbed to a crude tackle to indicate the game was losing its hype.

The blues pulled out Goto in the 62nd minute and injected Drew Matthews.

Wanderers striker Ian Paia (left) tussles for possession with Rovers midfielder Karan Mandair as winger Wesley Cain looks on at Guthrie Park, Havelock North, today. Photo / Duncan Brown

Bueno got a brace in the 65th minute after more Mandair magic for a deft cross to the Uruguayan who went around Peta to make it 6-1.

Peta denied more Mandair moves to find Bueno and Cain but a rash of silly yellow-card fouls summed up the last-placed villagers' frustrations.

Havelock North player/coach Chris Greatholder came in around the 71st-minute mark in the engine room for some stability up front but this was never a game about an upset result.

Canadian Patryk Misik, who also had a solid game like captain Joshua Stevenson, made way for teenager Ethan Ladd in the 79th minute.

The Rovers defenders were solid, especially player/coach Bill Robertson and Danny Wilson but they got a taste of what it was like to play against Feni who should be in the Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United squad in 2018-19 season of the ISPS Handa Premiership (national summer league).

Paia was much better in the game but is fast learning he needs to be stronger on the ball at this level of the premier winter league.