Metso Matamata Swifts breathed life back into their Waikato/Bay of Plenty Federation League campaign with an important win on the road at previously unbeaten Whakatane. The Swifts entered this match on the back of two upset defeats and knew anything but victory would signal the end of any real chance they had of winning the league.

Matamata held sway for most of the first half and, after early penalty shouts from both teams, deservedly went ahead in the 24th minute. Following good work by Jason Collins, Hayri Cihan swivelled and smacked the ball home with his left foot for the first goal scored by a team visiting Rex Morpeth Park this season. Up until then both sides had created partial openings, but this goal caused the first power shift of the game.

The hosts were in pieces leading up to half time neared and a second goal from the Swifts would have killed the game off. Matamata pressed their opponents deep and had a handful of chances to extend their lead, but were unable to do so.

After being able to regroup and organise themselves at the interval Whakatane came out and for twenty minutes looked like the side that had caused fear throughout the league. They capped this spell of pressure off with an equaliser in the 64th minute.

The momentum shifted again less than ten minutes later. The Swifts forced a couple of corners following a stinging shot from right back, Colin Taylor. From the second of these Duncan Lowry rose and smashed a header against the cross bar, which Juan Carlos Rodriguez bundled home to get Matamata the decisive goal and push them ahead.

With ten minutes remaining Jason Colins broke through and crashed home Matamata's third to give them an unassailable lead. This was suitable reward for another powerful performance from the pacy Swifts front man.

This was a good performance by a Matamata side that went to Whakatane to batter their opponents. The front two (Collins and Cihan) were magnificent and their efforts inspired confidence in the rest of their team. The Swifts were solid everywhere on the park, but the performance of Scott Parsonage at left back drew special praise from the coaching staff.

Swifts coach, Duncan Lowry, was also able to give the Whakatane faithful a glimpse of the next generation of Swifts players. Teenagers Dima Slack, who was so impressive against Glenfield Rovers in the previous match, and Michael Spencer, in his Federation League debut, were thrown into the fray late on. Both played their part in locking the victory away for their team.

After an emotional Queen's Birthday weekend during which Matamata had lost at home to Te Awamutu in the league and had gone out of the Chatham Cup on penalties to Glenfield Rovers it was great to bank another three points.

The Swifts needed victory more than their hosts and in the end that proved to be the difference between two evenly matched sides.

Sorry there are no match photos this week. The camera was out of action.