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Matamata Swifts' hopes and dreams of a first ever Federation League title have been shattered on the wide open spaces of Links Ave. For the second week in a row the Swifts had it over their opponents, and for the second week in a row a variety of things conspired against the side getting the result they required when it really mattered.
The Swifts led the game twice, scoring early in each half, but were pegged back on both occasions. The second Tauranga equaliser, coming in the aftermath of a hotly disputed free kick, was a  particularly bitter pill to swallow. It came like a nice little rusty nail in the coffin of Matamata's season.
Before that, however, things had looked so promising. As early as the sixth minute Matamata captain, Andy Birchenough, had driven home a free kick to set the side up nicely for what should have been a good day at the office. The Swifts prodded and probed and should have been at least one more goal ahead before the home side scored on the half hour with their first attack of note in the game. It was a good finish at the far post.
The Swifts should have been ahead before the break but Leo Pardini was incorrectly flagged for off-side. Pardini began his run from inside his own half when Alberto Romero played him clean through. He lobbed the keeper to 'score' but it seems the Tauranga centre back wasn't the only person who had been defeated by his pace...
Matamata gave the fans no time to settle back into their seats after the half time break. Andre Freitas took barely a minute to put the Swifts ahead with his thirteenth goal of the season, having been played in by another pass straight through the middle of the home side's back four.
Tauranga were more threatening during the second half and had the Swifts back four scrambling on a couple of occasions. But it looked like Matamata would hold on to a deserved victory until the second goal, aided by a sizeable deflection, went in.
The Swifts were given one final opportunity with only a minute left on the clock after Daniel Frischknecht was brought down on the edge of the box. With Birchenough eyeing up his goal of the game there was a tussle in the box between Andre Freitas and a Tauranga defender. One ugly blue dive later the free kick had inexplicably been reversed and the title was gone.
Matamata has one game left to wrap up the season. They play Rotorua United at the Domain this Saturday. As this game has nothing riding on it for either side, expect to see a number of Matamata's under-19 players get a run in a game that is essentially the first friendly in the lead-up to the NZ Youth Championships.
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Above Is it a bird? Is it a...? Actually, it looks like a bird. 
Above Hmmmm. That doesn't look like one of their regulars... 
Above Alberto Romero looks to pick out the guy on the fence.