50 and counting: Angus Kilkolly  scores 50th goal in 60 games for Napier City Rovers.

​It was a sobering lesson in preparation on the park after a youthful Western Suburbs showed consistency in training pays dividends after returning home with three points from Napier yesterday.
"We're a little disadvantaged with the overlap of the national league and the Central League," said Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers captain Fergus Neil after they succumbed 2-1 at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, in their first home game of the Central League.
"We must try to kind of get to know each other's play so, I guess, that can only get better when we spend more time together," said Neil, echoing the sentiments of coach Bill Robertson who was plying his trade for Team Wellington in the 2-all draw with AS Magenta in New Caledonia.

​When you are nothing but a footnote in a competition it hardly matters whether you change a few spark plugs and administer an oil change to what's under the bonnet of the vehicle to success.

But when you're a marquee Central League soccer team, such as Conroy Removals Napier City Rovers, who are steeped in a rich and proud tradition of bringing home silverware, it's not so cut and dry.

Striker Angus Kilkolly scored twice and made the crucial pass for the third goal as Napier City Rovers drew with Lower Hutt City in their opening Central League match at the weekend.

"He looks very sharp," Blues team co-manager Malcolm Wilson said last night after Kilkolly did the hard yards down the right flank before making the crucial pass for new English import midfielder Fahad Rwakarambe to score in the 3-all affair of the premier league of Capital and Central Football regions.

Wilson said Rovers coach Bill Robinson, who captained Team Wellington to back-to-back Stirling Premiership crowns yesterday, was surprised with Lower Hutt's composition, including imports, and how well organised they were on artificial Fraser Park turf on Saturday.

The Fergus Neil-captained Rovers have lost half of their squad from last season, including seven starting XI players.

The hosts scored in just the second minute after going up for a freekick before pushing it past talented goalkeeper Joshua Hill, who played for Wairarapa United last year.

Kilkolly's equaliser came in the 11th minute from a penalty kick before he spun more wizardry to beat the Lower Hutt goalkeeper from an acute angle to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.

Lower Hutt equalised 2-all on the stroke of halftime after Blues rightback Charlie Yexley conceded an own goal, when he hung his foot out to defend a cross.

It was Kilkolly again, exploiting the right flank space in the 57th to find Rwakarambe to rocket it high from 8m out.
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Some lethargic defence allowed Lower Hutt to equalise.

Up-and-coming youngster Dan McKenzie has stepped into the role of Napier City Rovers Ladies head coach.

McKenzie comes to Rovers with high recommendations from his previous coaching role at an Auckland college, where he was in charge of a girls junior team.

Hailed for his knowledge and understanding of the game, Dan’s love of playing football has led him into coaching roles, where he says he has grown a real passion for women’s football.

“I love all aspects of football. I’ve enjoyed playing football all my life, and I just thought why not give coaching a go,” says Dan.

“Coaching girls was a different challenge for me, because I’ve coached boy’s football before, but I had never coached girls. It’s just a different context.

“I enjoy it a lot more.”

Dan is not a complete stranger to Rovers, having previously played for East Coast Bays in the annual Napier City Rovers National Under 19s tournament at Park Island, and is looking forward to representing the Blues.

“I can’t wait to get started coaching and playing here.”

The ladies team will start training under the direction of their new coach next Wednesday, with their 2017 campaign kicking-off in April.

Dan and NCR would like to invite new and returning players along to the teams first training session. 

For more information email Dan at daniel.mckenzie91@yahoo.com

​Napier City Rovers were centre stage at Whanganui Masters Games last weekend, emerging with gold and silver medals at the biennial event.
 
Rovers entered two senior teams into the competition this year. The over 45s led by dynamic duo Jason Curtis and Terry O’Neill won gold, with the over 35s steered by former All White Perry Cotton claiming silver.