Matamata Swifts 0 v Putaruru 2

After a result like this it's easy for a match report writer to rest on an old cliché. And so I'm going to. The more things change with this Matamata Swifts football team, it seems, the more things stay the same. Despite having a host of new players this year the team is still beset by the sort of wasteful finishing and defensive frailties that have cost them dear over the last couple of seasons.

Matamata was not at their best during this match but they still should have had it wrapped up by half time. After a slow first half-hour the Swifts looked like they would hit pay dirt during the lead up to half time. During that short period of time they had enough clear-cut chances to win a couple of games, but couldn't even manage to hit the back of the net once, such was the profligacy of their shooting. Adam Graham and Joe Alves looked threatening as captain John Van Gog and David Hyslop started pulling the strings from midfield.

After the break, the match degenerated as the heat took its toll on both sides. The football wasn't all that pleasing on the eye but the opportunities kept coming at both ends.

Putaruru had the rub of the green when it came to the goals, helped largely by another couple of Matamata bungles. The first one went in with twenty minutes left, following a scramble in the box, while the clincher, in the last five minutes, will be one Swifts keeper, Ian Moody, will want to forget pretty quickly.

Matamata has a bye this weekend and it comes at the perfect time. The Swifts are struggling with niggling injuries to key players and will be hoping to use the break to refresh a few bodies and cleanse a few minds. A win in their next match is vital.

Man of the match for Matamata was defender Colin Taylor.

Swifts squad 1-Ian Moody; 3-Rob Cox (15-Dwayne Barlow 75m), 4-Colin Taylor, 7-Bevan Shelley; 12-Scott Hudson (5-Jamie Cox 65m), 6-Jason Collins (16-Joseph Dew 85m), 14-John Van Gog (c), 13-Marcelo Marquez; 9-David Hyslop; 2-Adam Graham, 10-Joe Alves.

Other results
Cambridge 0 v Hamilton North 0
Ngaruawahia 2 v Wanderers 1
Tokoroa 1 v West Hamilton 1
Claudelands (Bye)