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Matamata Swifts have battled to a deserved win against Rotorua United, one of the early season pacesetters, at a windswept Neil Hunt Park. The score line indicated the closeness of the match and it also indicated which was the stronger of the two teams.
Nothing short of victory would have been acceptable for the Swifts in this match. Stung after the defeat in Whakatane last Saturday Matamata was in desperate need of all three points to haul  themselves back up the table and restore their confidence levels.
Swifts coach, Duncan Lowry, was forced to shuffle his line-up again, following the flare-up of Tim Miller's hamstring injury last weekend. In came new signing Ismail Awad to partner Mark Knell up-front. Andrew Taylor also came in at the back for his first start of the season.
The goalless first half saw little in the way of clear cut chances. The home side used the biting southerly at their back to launch the ball forward. The Swifts centre-backs, Grant Cooper and Jack McKenna, were superb in the air, smashing away most of the swirling long balls that were sent their way.
Rotorua had a couple of strong shots from distance that had Swifts keeper, Tom Pamment, in business. It takes more than that, however, to beat such a classy keeper. Matamata sent snap headers from Neil Slater and Andrew Taylor narrowly over the crossbar, while Mark Knell put the best chance of the first half only narrowly wide of the upright. Mark Abbs curled a superb free-kick home but, unfortunately, had failed to notice the referee had signalled it as indirect.
After soaking up the first half bluster Matamata went two ahead in the second half through goals from Mike Spencer and leading scorer, Knell. Spencer did well for the opener, getting on the end of a pass from Andy Birchenough, before turning out then cutting inside and drilling his shot home from 15 metres.
Spencer's goal broke Rotorua's resistance. Knell then used some superb build-up work by Grant Cooper to spring the Rotorua off-side trap. He rounded the keeper and calmly rolled the ball home for his fourth strike of the season. Andrew Gibbs in the Rotorua goal then pulled off two excellent saves. The first denied Neil Slater and the second, a pure reflex effort, kept out a Mark Knell deflection.
The Swifts had to survive a couple of late moments of pressure after the home side scored with six minutes remaining. It was a messy goal, smuggled home from close range, and was the last thing Pamment deserved after an excellent performance in conditions that can be a nightmare for goalkeepers.
Matamata will be thankful for the depth they have in their squad this season. When substitute Andrew Clothier made his entrance he became the 20th Swift to take the field in only five league games this season. Players such as Jon Allen, Ged Parkinson, Tim Miller and Alberto Romero, who have been missing through suspension, injury and family commitments, will be back on deck in the coming weeks, giving Lowry and his coaching staff a real headache come selection time.
The Swifts take a break from their league campaign to focus on the Chatham Cup this coming weekend. The team plays Birkenhead United in Auckland.
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