The Matamata Club Swifts Reserve team lost a close one at the Domain on Saturday, ending up on the wrong side of a 2-1 score line against league leaders, Melville United.

The reserves made things tough for themselves, or rather had the referee make things tough for them, as they were forced to play more than half the match with ten men. Seconds after awarding a penalty against the reserves, the man in the middle made a pretentious blunder by sending one of the reserve team players from the field when he over-reacted to something that was said in the heat of battle.

Melville scored from the spot to give themselves a 2-0 half time lead. Earlier, they had opened the scoring with a wonder goal from distance.

Despite all this, the reserves looked comfortable and played, at times, some constructive football. Michael Spencer and Jamie Cox worked well together up front while Rob Cox was a driving force in midfield.

Even though being down a man for the second half, the reserves continued to perform well and were rewarded with the final goal of the game. Fourteen year old, Gareth Clarke, on as a second half substitute, nodded home his first goal in senior football.

The reserves now have three games on the road to complete their 2006 season.