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Wanderers 1 v Matamata Swifts 0
Saturday April 13, 2002
Waikato 1st Division

April the 13th proved to be an unlucky date for the Matamata Swifts 1st Team as they opened their season with a narrow defeat at newly promoted Hamilton Wanderers. Both sides were pretty evenly matched and, as the game wore on, it became obvious that whichever team scored the first goal would be the likely winners. And so it proved, with the home side netting 15 minutes from the end of an eventful match.

The first half was a period of consolidation as both teams got used to the rock-hard playing surface. Quality play was at a premium and it was the home side who settled the quicker, providing Matamata with a couple of scares at the back, while giving little away in defense. The Swifts did, however, have the best chance of the half when Joe Alves, one of the smallest men on the pitch, rose to meet a John Van Gog corner and saw his header crash back off the crossbar.

After the break Matamata began to look more threatening up front. Both Alves and Van Gog had prime opportunities to open the scoring. On the first, Alves reacted quicker than the Wanderers defenders to a through ball, but rolled his shot narrowly wide of the goal. The second chance proved costly in more ways than one. As Van Gog bent his shot agonisingly wide of the upright, Alves was lying prone on the pitch having had a bone in his leg broken in a clash with the Wanderers keeper, ending his involvement in the match and, certainly, the first couple of months of the season.

The resulting reshuffle saw coach Barrie Randall, all 50-plus years of him, pressed into service on the right-hand side of the Swifts midfield. This allowed last years top scorer, Jamie Cox, to press forward more. Cox carried on from where Alves had left off, giving the Swifts a pacy outlet in the attacking third of the pitch.

The only goal of the game arrived a quarter of an hour from the conclusion. Wanderers' centre forward, the best player on the pitch, cut between two Swifts defenders and angled his shot to the far post. Matamata goalie, Jim Brand, almost pulled off his third stunning save of the day, getting his fingers to the well struck shot, but he was forced to watch as the ball rolled just inside his far post. It was cruel luck for Brand who, despite the goal, had an excellent debut for Matamata.

After the goal, Wanderers closed the game down, happy the points were in the bag. The Swifts only had a couple of half chances to get something out of the game but were unable to do so.

Matamata plays their first home game of the season next Saturday and, with the return of three regulars, will be looking to bounce back quickly from this defeat with victory over last season's runners-up, West Hamilton. Kick-off is at 2pm.

The Swifts' player of the day was goalie Jim Brand who pulled off several fine saves, the highlights of a solid Waikato 1st Division debut.

Other Results:

Te Awamutu 4 v Melville 1, Tokoroa 1 v Claudelands 2,
Unicol 1 v Cambridge 4, West Hamilton pp v Ngaruawahia pp.

Full Table: