Wellington Phoenix travel to Palmerston North this Saturday to be a part of a Festival of Football and take on central region football powerhouse Napier City Rovers.
Wellington Phoenix v Napier City Rovers will kick off at 12pm at the Central Energy Trust Arena, Pascal Street, Palmerston North.
The pre-season match will provide Head Coach Mark Rudan with a tough test against the newly crowned Central League Champions.
It will be a great opportunity for local fans to watch some entertaining football as the Phoenix-Napier fixture provides the curtain raiser to the Central League Play-off between Palmerston North Marist FC and North Wellington which kicks off at 2.30pm.
Assistant Coach Chris Greenacre believes this fixture will be a great showcase for Football in the Manawatu Region while also giving his side a competitive opponent, a crucial step in the pre-season preparations.
“Playing against a team who have just finished their season on a high will be tough and provide the match intensity we are looking for.
“We are continuously raising the level of our intensity in preparation for the start of the season and we are well aware of the threat that Napier City Rovers pose.”
The local side will look to continue their fine form in to this friendly as Bill Robertson sees this as a good test for his team.
“It’s always exciting bringing the Phoenix to this part of New Zealand and the fans love seeing our team compete so it will make for a great atmosphere down in Palmerston.”
There will be a Phoenix fan function at Brew Union Brewing Company on Broadway Avenue in Palmerston North for pre-match and post-match festivities, with Phoenix partner Garage Project beer available on tap.
At A Glance
Festival of Football – Saturday 25 August
Central Energy Trust Arena, Pascal Street, Palmerston North
Free entry
Wellington Phoenix vs. Napier City Rovers
Pre-season friendly
Kick off 12pm
Palmerston North Marist FC vs. North Wellington
Central League Play-off
Kick off 2.30pm
Wellington Phoenix Available Squad
1. Filip KURTO (GK), 3. Ben WAINE (Academy), 5.Ryan LOWRY, 6.Dylan FOX, 7.Nathan BURNS, 8.Mitch NICHOLS,10. David WILLIAMS, 14. Alex RUFER, 15. Michal KOPZCYNSKI, 16. Louis FENTON, 18.Sarpreet SINGH, 19.Tom DOYLE, 20.Oliver SAIL (Gk), 21.Roy KRISHNA, 22.Andrew DURANTE (c), 26.Liberato CACACE, 27. Steven TAYLOR
Napier City Rovers Available Squad
1. Mack WAITE, 3. Liam SCHOFIELD, 4. Drew MATTHEWS, 5. Kaeden ATKINS, 6. Jamie WILKINSON, 8. Karan MANDAIR, 9. Martin BUENO, 10. Patryk MISIK, 12. Ethan LADD, 14. Josh STEVENSON, 15. James HOYLE, 16. Danny WILSON, 17. Fergus NEIL, 18. Bjorn CHRISTENSEN, 19. Bill ROBERTSON, 20. Zac MADSEN, 21. Kyle BAXTER
