Te Awamutu 3 v Matamata Swifts 2

Matamata Swifts travelled to title chasing Te Awamutu on Saturday with a side literally cobbled together on the morning of the match and almost came away with the most unlikely of results. In fact, it was only late in the second half that the visitors were able to scramble home two fortunate, somewhat debatable, goals to pilfer the points from a gallant Swifts side.

The lead up to this match proved to be the most difficult welcome back imaginable for coach Dwayne Barlow. Barlow had spent the previous three weeks following the All Whites in France and arrived home to find his squad in a similar sense of disarray to the national team. With half of his regular side, along with a number of fringe players, missing due to injury and work commitments just fielding a team was a minor victory for Barlow. What followed, however, was almost miraculous.

Matamata were forced into fielding a defensive looking formation, with the three centre-backs, Adam Graham, Gwyn Hughes and David Mann sitting behind a four-man midfield screen containing regulars Colin Taylor and Ryan Carter, and newcomers Brett O'Hanlon and Kieren McCabe. Up front Billy Garcia was forced to forge a lone furrow at centre forward with Paul Graham and Justin Read offering some width on either side of the field. Dave Taylor, in goal, would prove, as the game went on, to be an excellent last line of defence.

For the first half an hour things went perfectly for Matamata. Paul Graham, better known as a rugby player, gave the Swifts a two-goal lead with a couple sweetly struck, left-foot, volleys. Neither of these goals were against the run of play as the Swifts started the game as the strongest of the two teams but as the half wore on, and the superior fitness of the home side began to show, Matamata increasingly found themselves on the back foot.

Just as it looked like Matamata would take their two-goal lead into half time, the home side struck. From a threatening position, Te Awamutu were given two chances to take a free-kick and, after wasting the first attempt, made no mistake with the second. The powerful shot took a faint, but ultimately wicked, deflection to leave the unfortunate Taylor, who had already pulled a couple of stunning saves, stranded.

The first twenty minutes after the break proved to be a deadlock. Both sides threatened sporadically but the mushy surface made finishing a lottery. As the half wore on, however, the home side was able to wear down the visibly tiring Swifts and snatch victory. The goals, however, were cruel on Matamata. The first, the equaliser, came from a harshly awarded free kick near the Matamata box. The effort was half cleared, but fell to Timm Ball twenty yards out. His thunderous volley rammed into the shoulder of a Swifts defender and looped into the goal, again leaving Taylor with no chance.

The winner, less than ten minutes from the end, also had a hint of controversy about it. Te Awamutu striker, Andrew Ryan, appeared to control the ball with his upper arm before sliding the ball home. It was a gut wrenching way for Matamata to lose the game but the team's performance, rather than the ultimate result, was what left coach Barlow more than happy after the match.

Matamata's players of the day were Colin Taylor, who was tigerish in his new central midfield role, and Dave Taylor (no relation) who was superb in goal.

Swifts XI 1-Dave Taylor; 2-Adam Graham, 6-Gwyn Hughes, 14-David Mann; 5-Kieran McCabe, 4-Colin Taylor, 11-Brett O'Hanlon, 10-Ryan Carter; 3-Paul Graham (8-Dwayne Barlow 65m), 9-Billy Garcia, 15-Justin Read.

Match photos

Other Results
Hamilton North 0 v Claudelands 1
Putaruru 4 v Ngaruawahia 1
Tokoroa 1 v Melville 1
Wanderers 2 v Otorohanga 2
West Hamilton 2 v Cambridge 0 (W.Ham win by default)

[ Back to Match Reports page ]