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Peter Vossen Builders Matamata Swifts have defeated Taupo 2-1 in a titanic battle between the top two sides in the Waikato Bay of Plenty Federation League. It was a thoroughly deserved win for the Swifts who scored twice, had two perfectly good goals ruled out and a couple of stone cold penalty shouts turned down.
Matamata started slower than their vigorous opponents, who hit the cross bar in the 4th minute and  went ahead in the 14th. The Swifts let in their regulation soft goal in a game against Taupo when an over-hit free kick from the visitors was headed back across the goal by a Swifts player and onto skull of an onrushing attacker. The ball looped over the Swifts defence and under the cross bar.
That was about it from the visitors as an attacking force. They’d more than had their 15 minutes of fame when Matamata stepped up, took control and finished the job in what was a typically rugged encounter.
The Swifts were unlucky not to have a first half penalty awarded when Andy Birchenough was shoved in the back, then Mark Abbs was foiled by a last ditch scramble on the line.
A Ged Parkinson header right on the stroke of half time levelled things up. A free kick was worked deep past the far post for Grant Cooper who sent in a perfect cross from which Parkinson made no mistake.
That goal knocked the guts out of the visitors. Lacking the creativity of Alan Lamb they offered little going forward after the break and, disappointingly, could provide long balls into the box as their only attacking option.
The Swifts went ahead on the hour mark when Andy Birchenough rapped in a re-taken penalty after Mark Abbs had his heals clipped a yard inside the box. Taupo's young keeper made a good save from Mark Knell's first effort, but he was deemed to have jumped off his line too early. Anyone who was at the Whakatane game a few weeks ago will be reassured the old adage of things evening themselves out over the course of the season is, indeed, true.
The charge was on but Matamata weren’t allowed to stretch their victory margin. They had the ball in the net twice more, but both goals were mystifyingly ruled out.
Tim Miller rolled the ball home from close range but was flagged for offside, despite Taupo having their keeper on the line and a defender on the ground between Miller and the goal. Duncan Lowry powered
home a superb header only to have it ruled out for a supposed foul on a Taupo defender who didn't even get off the ground to challenge for the ball.
Alberto Romero and Tim Miller had two good strikes well stopped by the visitor’s young keeper. Miller was particularly unlucky with his screaming header driven straight into the feet of a keeper who knew nothing about it.
Matamata was also denied another spot kick when Miller was desperately hauled down by Taupo's keeper. Not only should it have been a penalty but also a red card as the keeper was the last defender.
So, it was lucky Taupo for the second year in a row at the Domain, but this time Matamata got the result they deserved.
The win was more important than the victory margin and it moves Matamata three points clear at the top of the table with three games remaining. They are at the Domain again this Saturday in what is their final home game of the season. Kick-off is 2.45pm.
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