Metso Matamata Swifts barely moved out of second gear as they beat bottom side, Ngongotaha. Two goals in each half, including a brace by new signing, Neil Slater, was enough to get the Swifts home against their courageous, physically strong but limited opponents. It also helped heal a few of the wounds that were opened by defeat in their last home game.

Matamata took twenty minutes to open the scoring, having already opened up the visitors on several occasions. Duncan Lowry powered a header at goal, which was saved, but he rammed home the rebound for his first goal of the season.

The Swifts lost Hayri Cihan with a hamstring strain well before the break, which meant an early introduction for Andrew Dixon, who was carrying a dodgy hamstring himself. Quarter of an hour after the opening goal the Swifts went two ahead when Andrew Jordan drove the ball home at the far post to open his account with his first goal for Matamata.

Matamata should have been at least three ahead soon after when Neil Slater was chopped down in the box minutes before the break. Everyone on the field expected a penalty to be awarded (yes, another one...), but the only people who didn't see it were the people who mattered. Fortunately this decision was never going to be crucial.

Slater got in on the action after the restart. He finished emphatically at the very start and the very end of the second half to register his first goals during his second stint with the Swifts and start paying off his sizeable signing-on fee. He had two seasons with Matamata (2005 & 2006) before spending the first half of 2007 with Tauranga City United. His energy and pace up front caused the Ngongotaha defenders trouble all afternoon.

Another niggle, this time on Ged Parkinson's upper thigh, led to a Swifts reshuffle early in the second half. The team went to three at the back, brought Dima Slack on to play wide on the left and pushed Alberto Romero into the hole. Matamata dragged the visitors all over the field for the rest of the game and, if it hadn't been for some brave defending and goal keeping, would surely have added to their goal tally.

The Swifts have the bye at just the right time. A week off now will allow time for some of the niggles to heal, the bugs to be banished and also for the longer term injuries, such as those being carried by Andrew Taylor and Daniel Frischknecht, to come right. When everyone is fit and healthy Matamata coach, Duncan Lowry, will have a big squad to choose from. This is just the position he wants to be in as his team closes in on the middle part of the season.