Stanley Group Matamata Swifts have been knocked out of the 2012 Chatham Cup following a 3-2 defeat at Whakatane.

Matamata put in their flattest, most lethargic 45 minutes of football this season during the first half of the match, allowing the hosts to come screaming out of the starting blocks and take a richly deserved two goal lead into the break.

The Swifts will be disappointed in the manner in which they conceded, with the second goal being a carbon copy of the first. They both came from a long speculative pass that allowed a Whakatane player to break right through the middle of the Swifts defence and leave Tom Pamment stranded in the Swifts goal.

The closest Matamata came to a goal was a strike from Stu Watene that snaked narrowly wide.

Whakatane stretched their lead still further only minutes after the break when an unfortunate Karl Bryant slip let Whakatane in for their third one on one of the afternoon.

From then on it was all Matamata. Jon Allen setting the tone with a shot from 20 yards that hit the upright, then some individual brilliance in the box from Jack McNab got Matamata on the score sheet.

The Swifts kept hammering away, with McNab coming close again, but being denied (again) by the woodwork before being felled in the box with ten minutes remaining. He stepped up but had his spot kick saved by a keeper who came off his line early. Jon Allen rammed home the rebound which meant their would be no retake.

A frantic final ten minutes saw Matamata press for the equaliser but the hosts held on for dear life to become one of four WaiBOP Federation League sides to defeat NRFL opposition in round 1 of the cup.

It was good to see Eddie Kennedy make his return from injury and get through a full 90 minutes, while Jon Allen led the way and changed the nature of the game after he came on at the break.