Stanley Group Matamata Swifts have picked up their first home point of the season to complete an unbeaten Easter double header. In an open match, the Swifts had the better chances and should really have walked away with their second victory of the season, even though the visitors had their moments.

The Swifts changed their shape again, as coach Lowry is still searching for his most effective line-up, and looked the better for it. The front two of Andy Cooper and Jack McNab each had excellent opportunities to open the scoring during the first twenty minutes, with McNab's header hitting the cross bar and Cooper's drive well stopped. Glen Carmichael, making his second start at right back, also went close to scoring.

The game was ended early for Eddie Kennedy on the half hour mark as he was on the end of a dirty, late, through the back hack that left him hobbling around unable to continue. The only surprise was that a yellow card wasn't forthcoming.

Kennedy's replacement in the centre of midfield, Mark Knell, was soon to make an impact on the match. Ten minutes after coming on he drilled home the game's opening goal. After picking up the ball outside the box he dipped it home just inside the angle between cross bar and upright to give the Swifts the most deserving of leads.

Matamata entered the half time break on a high, but came out ten minutes later as flat as a pancake. Fencibles dominated the twenty minutes after half time and inevitably found an equaliser. Disappointingly it came from a close range header after one of the visiting players found himself free in the box. The visitors also created a couple more good openings but failed to really test Tom Pamment in the Matamata goal.

The Swifts eventually got their game together and finished the stronger of the two teams. Jack McNab went close again with a header then Andy Cooper found himself with a great opportunity to wrap the game up only minutes from the end. He raced on to a through ball that split the Fencibles centre-halves, leaving him one on one with the keeper, who raced out and did well to narrow the angle. Cooper's rushed shot was bundled away.

Wins are vital in such a tight league with no real stand out team, so the Swifts were disappointed to let this one get away. On the positive side, this newer, younger Swifts team is slowly starting to come together as a unit, is creating plenty of chances every game and, over the last couple of games at least, has become much more difficult to score against. So the work

The work in progress continues...