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Cambridge 9 v Matamata Swifts 1
Saturday May 11, 2002
Waikato 1st Division

An injury-riddled Matamata Swifts travelled to league leaders Cambridge and suffered the kind of defeat that leaves everyone associated with the club utterly humiliated.

On a high after their first win last weekend, the team needed to show character and spirit against the best footballing team in the league. They did this for the first 45-minutes, holding Cambridge to 2-1 at the break. It was an even half of football, at the end of which the Swifts would have been disappointed to not to have been level with their hosts. David Hyslop scored for the Swifts to even things up after an early Cambridge goal and Jamie Cox had an excellent chance to level things again just before the break.

In truth, the Swifts were more than a match for their more competant opponents. The two goals they conceeded were due to some sloppy defending, while the battle in the middle of the park was dead even.

After the break, however, Matamata collapsed. A lack of resolve, backed up by some pretty average mental awareness allowed Cambridge to walk all over a dispirited Swifts rabble. As the goals continued to fly in some of the Matamata players started hiding. They just didn't have the bottle to take it to a Cambridge side who hadn't really changed their game. It was real men against boys stuff, and the men gave the boys a proper lesson in the basics of the game.

The one positive note for Matamata was the performance of young Corey Clements in his first start for the team. He more than held his own on the left of midfield and looks set to shine as he gets a few more matches under his belt.

With four home games over the next five weeks, Matamata has every opportunity to breathe some semblance of life back into their season. Let's just hope some of the players decide that's actually what they want to do.

Other Results:
Ngaruawahia 4 v Claudelands 2, Tokoroa 0 v Melville 2,
Unicol 1 v Te Awamutu 0, West Ham 2 v Wanderers 3.

Full Table (as at May 11):