Rovers stun Eskview 4 3 with come from behind cup victory | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

Can one player make a huge difference or is it simply a case of self-belief?

Napier City Rovers A yesterday defied the odds to book themselves a berth in the women's Knockout Cup soccer final after they upset Eskview Blue 4-3 at Park Island, Napier.

Playing in ideal spring conditions, the Jessica Sheppard-coached Rovers came from behind to rejoice at the final whistle.

"We came in confident but we knew it was going to be a tough game," centreback Sheppard told SportToday after they lost a league match 2-1 the previous Sunday to Eskview, who had lost their goalkeeper, Kelly Winkley, when she collected a red card from ref Trevor Ruffle for swearing.

Yesterday Winkley was reduced to a mere spectator as young Nikki Wawatai kept goal and was tested in just the seventh minute when defender Heidi Greetson handled the ball in the 18m box for right winger Nicole Baird to give Rovers a 1-0 lead.

Eskview camped in the Rovers half and were rewarded with an equaliser from Jess Gannaway in the 19th minute when she beat keeper Emma Haukamau.

Stung into action, the Napier team rallied and five minutes later Cara O'Neil latched on to a defensive blunder just outside the 18m box to go around another defender to push the ball past keeper Wawatai for a 2-1 lead.

In a tit-for-tat reply, Claire Paget drew level in the very next minute for Eskview and two minutes later left wing Kelly Smith put them ahead, 3-2, a lead they retained into the breather.

After some pep talk from assistant coach Lindsay Sheppard, the Rovers equalised from a Baird goal, struck from an oblique angle on the left flank with replacement goalkeeper/coach Anne Marie "Spike" Lawlor caught coming too far off her goal line.

Exploiting a tired midfield, right winger Koryn Berryman's well-timed cross in the 74th minute was the foundation for victory as O'Neil pounced on the ball and poked it past a diving Lawlor in the the bottom right corner.

Rovers now play the winners of Taradale Baldwin Jewellers and Cru Bar Maycenvale United Misfits at Napier Boys' High School ground tonight at 6.30 under floodlights. Dale trounced Vale 5-2 in the previous Sunday's league clash.

Rovers player/coach Sheppard said with their regular keeper away and a player down with swine flu the previous Sunday, her troops had decided to put the result of the league match behind them yesterday.

"There was lots of hard work and it's paid off," she said, not worried about who they preferred to meet in the final.

Lawlor said her players looked lethargic although she didn't use substitutes on the sideline.

"It was about putting the strongest team on the field and I was extremely proud of my girls," she said, congratulating Rovers who she felt have grown from strength to strength this season after struggling with numbers.