Metso Matamata Swifts walked away from the Rotorua International Stadium with a confidence boosting victory under their belts and the belief that they are a decent side, despite their indifferent form of late.

As usual the Swifts kept the crowd, numbering a few people and 30,000 empty seats, on edge right to the end, but they should have had this one buried in the first fifteen minutes. Another forced rearrangement to the side saw Alberto Romero back in the team and Andrew Jordan shift to right back for the injured Colin Taylor. Jordan, quickly taking on the mantle of the team's utility player, acquited himself well during his first game at the back.

Captain Andy Birchenough got the Swifts going early with a thunderbolt from the edge of the area that went straight through the Rotorua keeper. Within minutes Matamata had spurned two further gilt edged chances; Andrew Taylor and Scott Parsonage the culprits when both had only the keeper to beat.

Matamata was on the rampage for the first twenty minutes, playing confident attacking football that went without further reward. Out wide, Andrew Taylor and Juan Carlos Rodriguez continually stretched United's flat back three, while the strong running of Neil Slater and Jason Collins through the middle kept the pressure on.

But the goals didn't come.

Rotorua pulled themselves back into the game with two well taken, headed strikes. Both times keeper Dave Taylor, back in the side for the injured Gary Darkes, was left with no chance, such was the quality of the finishing. The home side enjoyed their best spell leading up to the break and, while they didn't threaten again, at least managed to contain a Swifts side that had seemingly hit the wall.

After the break there was only one side in it. A slight rearrangement in midfield brought a little balance back to the Swifts play and they went on to wrap the game up, despite throwing away several further goal scoring opportunities.

Rodriguez brought the Swifts back on level terms ten minutes after the break with his second goal of the season. United could possibly have had a player sent off during the goal scoring action. Rodriguez's shot was slapped at and deflected into the net by a defender on the goal line. Sensibly, the referee let the goal stand rather than blow for a penalty and pull out what would have been an inevitable red card.

After further half chances, Neil Slater wrapped up the victory with a poacher's finish quarter of an hour from the end. He pounced after the Rotorua keeper failed to hold onto a cross.

Jason Collins turned in another immense effort up front and was unlucky not to be rewarded with a goal for his man of the match performance. Scott Parsonage showed great athleticism to repeatedly get forward from left back, while still performing his defensive duties when required. Ged Parkinson and Duncan Lowry did what they're best at - solid, no nonsense defending that squeezed the life out of the home side.

This was a thoroughly well deserved win on a good surface in a great setting. The sensible control of the match by the team of three officials was in stark contrast to what we faced last week and was welcomed by the players of both teams. Players don't expect referees to be perfect. All they ask is that they get most decisions right, relate to the players and have an appreciation for what is actually happening around them on the field. Neil and his team did that.