Matamata College has made it to the final of the Waikato Secondary Schools Cup for the first time in its history following a stirring 4-3 victory over higher ranked Fraser High School from Hamilton. It was a fully deserved win and, if not for some wasteful finishing and creative officiating the margin would have been bigger.

The visitors opened the scoring in the first ten minutes with a fine strike from distance for the only goal of a first half dominated by Matamata. Fraser, playing with a very flat back four, were repeatedly opened up, but Matamata couldn't find the net. Gareth Clark and Michael Spencer had the best of the chances in a period of play that should have seen their team enter half time with at least a two goal margin.

That was the calm. The storm came after the break.

Determined not to let their rather fortunate visitors off the hook again, Matamata netted three times in the first fifteen minutes of the second half. Clark prodded home early on, before Spencer smashed one in off the upright. The goal of the game came immediately after when centre back, Ben Vowles, burst out of his own half, carried the ball through a statuesque Fraser midfield and defence and cracked the ball home from the edge of the box.

That session of madness couldn't really continue and Fraser came back into the game for a five minute period where they went close from their first shot of the half and scored from their second. 3-2.

Daniel Holmes powered home a header to stretch the Matamata lead to 4-2 and the game should have been sewn up soon after when Spencer had the ball in the net again, only to see the off side flag had been incorrectly raised against his strike partner, Michael Campbell, who wasn't interferring with play.

The half was made all the more interesting by some lively sideline banter and a fair sprinkling of cards, particularly for the visitors as the frustration of seeing their hopes slipping away mounted.

Fraser made it interesting with a late goal from a free kick, but a one goal defeat was about the best they could have hoped for given the relative performances of both teams. Matamata College ran out deserved winners and now advance to take on the might of Hamilton Boys High School in the final.