Metso Matamata Swifts 2007 Waikato Bay of Plenty League title chances all but went up in smoke after an eventful, entertaining and evenly contested match at the Domain. Unbeaten league leaders Taupo rolled into town with a five point gap over the Swifts at the top of the league and left with an almost unsurmountable lead.

On the surface the result looks like a rather clear cut victory to the visitors but, as is quite often the case in this wonderful game, the scoreline was not fully reflective of the balance of play. The first half could have ended 5-4 to either side, while neither side mustered more than a few half chances after the break.

Taupo enjoyed a positive spin-off from the ball bouncing their way for the entire match, which is a luxury they probably earned from their performances over the course of the season.

A muddling first quarter belied what was to come. Then, in the blink of an eye, Taupo were two up courtesy of a couple of gifts. The Swifts went behind to an own goal when Scott Parsonage, under little pressure, rolled the ball into his own net. Moments later, and with the the vistors claiming a corner, an aimless lob dropped just under the cross bar. And so the visitors were seemingly clear without having had a genuine shot on goal.

The Swifts grabbed a goal back soon after when, following a corner, captain, Andy Birchenough, drilled a shot home off the underside of the Taupo cross bar.

The key moment of the game came after the half hour. Taupo restored their two goal margin less than a minute after Jason Collins was cruelly denied. Collins broke clear and lifted his shot over the stranded and out of position Taupo keeper. The low trajectory shot bounced in front of the goal and took a bizarre hop over the centre of the cross bar.

The Swifts kept coming, however, and got themselves back in touch right on half time. Ged Parkinson powered home an unstoppable header from another expertly taken Alberto Romero corner.

The drama and excitement of the first half was strangely absent after the break. A reorganised Taupo rearguard squeezed the attacking life out of the Swifts, while at the other end Swifts goalie, Dave Taylor, was only marginally busier than his counterpart.

The attacking flair of the first half was replaced with something a little more robust. While Swifts centre back, Duncan Lowry, was a little lucky to remain on the field after a strong late challenge on Taupo's playmaker, Alan Lamb, the same could also be said for the visitors' influential midfield dynamo, Ben Westerman. He mounted a campaign of cheap, gruesome, studs-up challenges on any Swift unlucky to have their blind-side turned to him. So things, as they usually do in football, evened themselves out.

Taupo scored a great long range goal with less than ten minutes to go to ensure their victory and underline their title credentials once and for all. For Matamata, their players and coaching staff it was a case of what might have been; not only from this match but from a season in which the team has been unable to field the same eleven players in consecutive weeks.

The season, however, is far from over. While playing for second is not an ideal goal it is still something to strive for. And, who knows, Taupo may still slip up...