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Peter Vossen Builders Matamata Swifts have secured their first Northern Region Football League (NRFL) victory with a strong showing at home against Papakura City.
First half goals to Stu Watene and Andy Cooper locked the points away for Matamata, although the Swifts were forced to fend off a second half fight back from the visitors, who had been reduced to ten men not long after the break.
It was a scorcher at the Domain and the football, at times, was equally as hot. The opening twenty minutes was a midfield arm wrestle, then the Swifts took control. Jon Allen saw a good shot well saved, before Watene opened his account for Matamata in the 37th minute. The move leading up to the goal was first rate, with Grant Cooper playing in Alberto Romero, who found Watene in the box. The Swifts striker got the ball down, rounded the keeper and calmly slotted home.
Only four minutes later Watene’s strike partner, Andy Cooper, doubled the lead with a poachers strike from close range. Cooper ghosted in at the far post to ram home Simon Arthur’s drilled cross.
Things appeared to get even better for Matamata ten minutes into the second half when one of the Papakura defenders was turned and beaten for pace by Watene. His desperate lunge only succeeded in bringing the Swifts striker down and as the last defender he had no chance of staying on the field.
The visitors played their most urgent football after the sending off. They gave the Swifts several nervous moments and grabbed a goal back from a set piece that wasn’t properly dealt with. The goal made things interesting but Matamata almost had the final say when Simon Arthur drilled a shot onto the cross bar late on.
Matamata has a busy Easter with two games on the road. The team travels to Cambridge on Saturday, then Auckland to play Ellerslie on Easter Monday.
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