The Stanley Group Matamata Swifts Federation 1 side travelled to early season leaders Ngongotaha, with the Swifts looking to build on their first win of the season. Coach Ted Ansell once again fielded a settled starting side with the only change being Joe Freeman coming in for the unavailable Adam Roach.

It was possibly this stability which allowed the Swifts to put aside the sluggish starts of the previous 2 weeks. Both sides kept things tight early on, and it was a mistake in the Ngongotaha defence which saw the first real chance in the match. A ball played across the back was picked up by Peter McCoskrie outside the 18 yard box. His shot seemed saveable but as the goalkeeper went down, the bounce eluded him and the ball found its way into the back of the net.

This gave the Swifts a boost and their best period of the match followed. Jamie Baxter continued his efforts in previous weeks from the set play and saw one long range effort slip just by the post with the keeper struggling. Matamata corners were also causing concern in the Ngongotaha box, and it seemed only a matter of time before the Swifts added a second.

However it was Ngongotaha who landed a telling blow just before half-time. With pace to burn up front, a ball played over the top managed skidded on the wet surface. Matamata were unable to clear and ball was picked up by a Ngongotaha forward who rounded the keeper and slotted to tie the scores.

A quick start to the second half was required and Matamata looked to attack from the kick-off. With players pushing forward, the ball was lost in the opposition 18-yard box. Ngongotaha wasted no time in counter-attacking and it was a decisive move which found space down the Swifts right-hand flank. There was no mistake from the clinical forward and the Swifts found themselves down 2-1.

The Swifts struggled to recover and Ngongotaha pressed to land a killer blow. The Swifts were largely limited to set play opportunities though a goal always seemed possible with the Ngongotaha keeper apparently lacking in confidence. The game opened up as the match wore on, with Matamata creating more pressure as they pushed players forward in an attempt to find an equaliser. However with substitute Josh Oed pulling a late chance just wide, it was not to be, and Matamata found themselves on the end of a 1-goal loss for the second time this season.

The Peter Vossen Federation 2 team travelled to the Tauranga Boys College and, while the weather was bad, it wasn't quite as disappointing as the Swift's start. Conceding 5 goals in the first 20 minutes, and trailing 7-0 by half-time the result was never in doubt. However a restructure in the second half and an improved effort from the side meant that there was at least some positives to take from the game. Final score 10-2.

The Challenge Ladies side had their first road trip of the season and it was pleasing to see that squad numbers were not an issue with a full line-up of 14 making the journey to Huntly. With just 5 trainings between them, and playing a larger and more experienced Huntly side, the game was always going to be a struggle. However Victoria Bowers-Mason managed to find the net for the Swift ladies first goal of the season and the team will benefit from another 90 minutes together. For the record, Huntly won 8-1.

All sides are at home again this week. The Federation 2 team face HRFC Clube on Saturday while both the ladies and the men's Federation 1 side play on Sunday. The ladies face Cambridge while the men face an AFC Fury team backing up from a Chatham Cup clash on Thursday.