Matamata Swifts have begun their 2012 NRFL season with a frustrating loss at the Domain against Onehunga Mangere United. The loss was frustrating because the performance was good and the Swifts controlled proceedings almost throughout. But the goals just didn't go in.

The Swifts began the match full of attacking energy and invention. They created their first chance within the first minute and went after their harried opponents for a good twenty minutes. Matamata's new front two of Jack McNab and Andy Cooper combined well, while young Mackenzie Smith, on debut, was full of life.

A combination of good goal keeping, including three great saves, desperate defending, wasteful finishing and sheer bad luck kept the Swifts scoreless during a period of almost complete domination.

Then the visitors went ahead from the spot. Karl Bryant, another Swifts debutant, was unlucky to have the ball drilled into his arm to concede the penalty. It was a little bit soft but understandable, even though referee Boyce took a while to award it.

What wasn't as understandable was that soon after Matamata was denied an even more clear cut penalty when one of the visiting defenders saved the ball with both arms up in front of his face.

Incredibly the visitors went 2-0 ahead not long before the break from only about their second proper attack of the match, although even this goal had a touch of the unusual about it. Matamata's keeper, Jonathan Crook, had the ball taken from his grasp, even though he appeared to have it under control, leaving the visiting attacker the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty net.

The Swifts should have had one back before the break, but Andy Cooper's superb take and finish was scrubbed out after the linesman flagged two other Swifts players for off-side, even though they weren't anywhere near Cooper.

The second half took on an expected pattern as the visitors set up with five at the back along with a bank of four sitting just in front of them in an effort to keep what they had. And their tactics worked.

The Swifts passed and moved and huffed and puffed but weren't cute enough to break their visitors down. Substitute Jamie Baxter had the best second half effort with a drive from distance that was tipped over.

So, while the result was frustrating, the performance was promising from a rebuilt Matamata side that can only improve. All the new faces did well, while Dwayne Signal made a promising beginning to his new career in the heart of the Swifts defence. There wasn't too much to complain about apart, of course, from the final result. But in football that's all that really matters.