A strong seventeen man Matamata Swifts reserve side got their 2006 pre-season campaign underway with a solid victory on Saturday in the furnace that was the Vogel Street ground in Cambridge.

The match, played in three thirty minute periods, gave all the players some good game time, as well as allowing the Matamata coaching staff the opportunity of experimenting with the make-up of the side.

Matamata looked good during the opening period but failed to convert any of their opportunities into goals. A propensity for wanting to walk the ball into the net, rather than lashing the ball home, was disturbing but withered as the match went on.

The first goal came midway through the second period when Matamata substitute, Chris Bedford, smacked a lovely angled drive into the path of Matt Monteith who completed the job from close range.

More goals came for Matamata during the final period when, first, Monteith drove the ball home after good work by Luis Sosa and Harrie Cyhan. Neil Slater then extended the lead with less than ten minutes to go.

Cambridge managed a late consolation goal right on full time.



Matamata Swifts Reserves Jason Collins; Pete Challis, Luis Sosa, Marcelo Marquez; Joel Chamberlain, Rob Cox, Neil Slater, Jono Monteith, Daniel da Silva; Luis Maldonado, Gareth Clark
Subs Joseph Dew, Hayri Cihan, Kieran McCabe, Matt Monteith, Andy Monteith, Chris Bedford.