One last outing for Taranaki
Team Taranaki’s season should have been over last weekend.
However, with the league moving fixtures to accommodate Chatham Cup ties, they’ll make the long trip across the country for one final hitout against Napier City Rovers today. Team Taranaki will travel looking to atone for their disappointing 4-1 loss to Napier earlier in the season in a match where poor discipline proved to be their downfall.
‘‘We’ll go in feeling like we owe them,’’ Team Taranaki coach Ian McGrath said. ‘‘We want to put on a good performance and end the season well.’’
The Taranaki side will be without defensive duo Jeremy Hawkes and Jeremy Hill, who both planned trips away for the end of the season before the fixture against Napier had been moved.
Utility Wade Randle, who has played most of the season in the midfield, will move into the defensive line. Jack Roberts and Sandro Grandi move into the starting midfield, while Santiago Fernandez returns in goal.
‘‘We are a little bit stretched for resources this weekend, but we have a squad that should be com- petitive,’’ McGrath said.
The side travel after a slim 1-0 defeat against Lower Hutt last time out. Despite a strong performance, Team Taranaki were unable to come away with the result their play might have deserved.
‘‘We don’t want to finish on a limp note. I was disappointed with the result last weekend. I was certainly not disappointed with our effort and attitude.
‘‘I think they players have acquitted themselves well.’’
McGrath said he was expecting Napier to put up a strong fight as they are a side who a usually very good on their home turf.
However, in their final match, the Taranaki side would be looking to add one more quality performance to their season and increase their points total one more time. With a win, they could finish the season as high as fifth, depending on other results.