Lack of desire in Rovers' 3-1 loss
01.06.2009
ANENDRA SINGH
It was all Greek for Napier City Rovers in the Central League match against Olympic in Napier.
The incomprehensibility was all on the part of Rovers coach Matt Chandler as he watched his troops slump 3-1 in their Central League encounter at the Bluewater Stadium at Park Island on Saturday.
Chandler delighted in his players' solid 30-minute start before despair kicked in as the desire and commitment dissipated.
``We were committing avoidable errors that were giving away costly goals. You just can't coach against that,' Chandler lamented to SportToday.
With first striker Chris McIvor off in the 39th minute after two yellow cards for fouls and defender Jonathon Taylor following suit midway through the second spell, the scorecard was not surprising.
But the Wellingtonians' authority was stamped early when they went into the breather 2-nil up with the first goal to striker Adam Church in the 31st minute and another to fellow striker Micky Malivuc six minutes later.
Chandler felt they were soft and the visitors' third came from a penalty to centreback Jamie O'Connor in the 58th.
Olympic coach Craig Hopkins, said Rovers goalkeeper Nick Woolward ``rugby tackled' pacey George Barbarouses inside the 18m box after the Olympic centre-mid went around the keeper.
Last season's golden boot Stu Wilson pulled one back for the Rovers in the 73rd minute from a penalty after Josh Stevenson was fouled in the 18m box.
But coach Hopkins said the penalty was dubious because O'Connor, pinged for the foul, was half a metre away from Stevenson who ``slipped and fell'.
``The ref, who was a young boy and good on him for that, struggled a bit with the pace and couldn't read the game properly.
``Some of the older players were getting into his ear, too. He dished out four yellow cards to us and gave Rovers three yellows and two red ones and it wasn't that bad a game.'
Hopkins was scathing of player/assistant coach Taylor's tackle on Barbarouses that left him sporting bruises to his ribs.
``It was pretty atrocious. He was never going to get to that ball in time and just ran and smashed into his ribs.
``He wasn't giving up and was out to kill somebody. It's the worst tackle I've seen this year.'
Hokpins said Rovers started the game with sublime one-touch football, relegating Olympic to what he considered their worst first half of the season.
``They closed us down pretty fast. It wasn't a spectacle or anything but Napier caught us out with their one touch,' he claimed, adding Olympic goalkeeper Nick van Hatten kept them in the game with some great one-to-one saves.
``When they lost another player in the second half we took advantage of the situation.'
Commonly known as The Greeks, the club was formed in 1953 by Greek immigrants as Apollon AFC. Greeks continue to be the basis of the club's support to this day and a significant number of them are of Greek heritage.
With a match against Palmerston North Red Sox at the Bluewater Stadium at 2pm today in the Chatham Cup clash, Chandler was hoping his players would pick themselves up to perform, after a first-round bye.
``All positions are up for grabs and we've got some young talent coming through and everyone needs to step up.'
Goalkeeper Shaun Peta, who was admitted to Lower Hutt Hos pital last weekend in the Rovers' away defeat in the Central League, was on Saturday on the sidelines against Olympic.
``He's got three metal plates inserted in his face,' Chandler said.
