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Matamata Swifts have continued their winning run at the Domain with a very good footballing performance against a dangerous Melville United side. The 3-0 victory margin emphatically underscored the difference between the two sides and, but for a catalogue of late Matamata misses, it could have been much worse for the visitors.
This was a classic game of two halves. Very little was created by either sides before the break as the Swifts, playing into the head-achingly bright solstice sun, ground down their energetic, occasionally threatening, opponents. It was only during the last ten minutes of the half that the  Swifts started carving out some openings. Tim Miller sent a dipping drive just over, while a dangerous corner didn’t quite fall to the feet of a Swifts striker.
Right on the half time whistle, however, Matamata found the vital first goal. From another corner Melville half cleared the ball and it popped back to Ged Parkinson who calmly slotted the ball home.
After the break it was all Matamata. The Swifts’ football became more assured as the game went on leaving the visitors to spend most of their time chasing the ball around the field. To their credit, Melville never gave up and, at least, tried to be constructive with the ball when they had it (unlike other recent visitors to the Domain).
The first major incident of the half came when Ismail Awad was clattered by the Melville keeper on the edge of the box. Awad nudged the ball past the keeper and was then pole-axed, much like Patrick Battiston in the 1982 World Cup. Awad was left with blood streaming from his face while the keeper was, surprisingly, left on the field.
Only minutes later, however, a patched up Awad had the last laugh. Andy Birchenough smacked in a stinging drive which the keeper failed to hold. Awad was on hand to slide the ball home for his first goal in a Swifts shirt.
During the last twenty minutes the Melville goal became a shooting gallery. The Swifts hit the woodwork and created four other excellent changes from which they should have scored. Tim Miller was the unluckiest man on the field, sending a couple of chances wide, while his best strike was saved by the keeper's face. Jon Allen had a great long range drive superbly stopped.
Thankfully Matamata did grab a third after young Jack McKenna strode forward to power home a header from an excellent Andy Birchenough corner. It was the least Matamata deserved after thoroughly dominating the last 45 minutes.
Matamata is still three points clear at the top of the table and has another home game, against Te Awamutu, next Saturday. Kick-off is at the usual time of 2.45pm.
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