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Matamata Swifts 3 v Cambridge 4
Saturday July 13, 2002
Waikato 1st Division

In a classic game of two halves Matamata Swifts overcame an awful start to push league-leaders, Cambridge, all the way to the wire in Saturday's Waikato 1st Division fixture at the Domain. The Swifts, going into the game on the back of a five-game unbeaten run, gave themselves a genuine chance of beating the 1st Division's dominant team, but were brought back to earth rather quickly. Despite opening the scoring, Matamata found themselves on the precipice after only 25-minutes.

Five minutes in, David Hyslop, Matamata's leading scorer, got things going with a well constructed opening goal. Following excellent work by Bevan Shelley and Jamie Cox, Hyslop slid home the first goal of an eventful first half. Twenty minutes later, however, Matamata found themselves on the wrong end of a self-inflicted 4-1 scoreline after leaking a succession of stupid goals.

Matamata made things far too easy for the talented Cambridge side to pick them to pieces as the visitors helped themselves to goal after goal. During those horrible twenty minutes the Swifts were probably lucky not to concede more but, eventually, the flow of the match started to change. Although remaining under the kosh for most of the first half, the Swifts started to haul themselves off the ropes. A second goal to Hyslop just before the break gave Matamata some hope that, with a better second half showing, they might just get something out of the game.

And so it almost proved. After some strong half-time words from coach, Barrie Randall, the Swifts came out looking like a different side. The desire, so lacking during the first 45-minutes, came back in abundance as, at times, they ran a tiring Cambridge side ragged. The only thing lacking from the home team's display was an early goal, although it wasn't for the lack of trying. Cambridge just had enough at the back to break down most of what the Swifts offered, despite being stretched on a number of occasions.

With time almost up Matamata set up a grandstand finish by scoring the goal of the game. Put though by substitute, Justin Read, winger Bevan Shelley cut inside his marker and hammered home a superb shot from a difficult angle. In the end, the goal proved to be too little, too late for Matamata, but sweeper, Adam Graham, almost went one better than Shelley. With barely seconds to go, Graham carried the ball into the Cambridge half and unleashed a shot that shaved the cross bar. Had that gone in it would have given the game a spectacular conclusion.

The Matamata Hotel player of the day was this week's two-goal hero, David Hyslop.

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

Full Table (as at July 13):