Rotorua United 2-0 Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts
WaiBOP Premiership
Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts suffered only their second WaiBOP Premiership defeat of the season in going down disappointingly at Rotorua United.
The Swifts have built a solid record this season and, prior to the match, sat just off the pace in fifth on the table. This match doubled as a Federation Challenge Shield challenge so the team had every motivation to put in a decent performance. Unfortunately it was a rather subdued afternoon for the Swifts as they failed to fully get to grips with a stubborn opponent.
Matamata has struggled at Neil Hunt Park in the past, and the outcome here proved disconcertingly similar. Rotorua scored a goal in each half to claim a deserved victory.
The Swifts certainly weren’t short of fight, picking up four second half bookings as they battled to make things happen, but the extra bit of quality was missing this weekend.
Claudelands Rovers 4-2 Richardson Racing Stables Swifts Reserves
WaiBOP Championship
The Richardson Racing Stables Swifts reserves gave WaiBOP Championship leaders, Claudelands Rovers, a huge scare at Galloway Park on Saturday.
The reserves have had a stuttering start to their 2015 season, due to the postponement of several fixtures, but they were in this match right from the start. The hosts took the lead not long before the break through what the coaching staff felt was a contentious goal, but the reserves fought back well during the opening quarter hour of the second half.
Logan Allen equalised five minutes after the break, then edged Matamata in front with his second of the day little more than five minutes later. This gave the reserves some hope of causing a boil-over, but it wasn’t to be.
Claudelands aren’t top of the table by accident. They fought back with two goals to be in front with 15 minutes left. Allen had a great chance to bring Matamata back on level terms once again, before Rovers made the game safe with their fourth goal right on time.
Along with Allen, Matt Aberhart did well in goal for the reserves, while Mike Candy was strong at the back. Youngster, Reuben Wigglesworth, also acquitted himself well in his senior starting debut.
Challenge Matamata Swifts Ladies didn’t have a fixture scheduled as Sunday was the opening day of fixtures in Hamilton for the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Swifts Juniors – Open Grade: Matamata Hornets 2-0 Western United; Matamata Tigers 8-0 Claudelands Rovers (Tigers’ scorers: Jayden Baker, Reuben Davis, Brodie Cleaver 3, Will Benefield, James O’Callaghan, Cameron Jacobsen. Player of the day (POD): Reuben Davis); Matamata Falcons 3-0 Pirongia – win by default. 11th Grade: Claudelands Rovers 8-0 Matamata Jets (Jets POD: Edward James). 10th Grade: Matamata Dragons 3-1 Hillcrest; Cambridge 5-0 Matamata Strikers (Strikers’ POD: Wyatt Winke). 9th Grade: Huntly 3-7 Matamata Rebels (Rebels scorers: Dylan Brown 6, Liam Costello-McVeigh 1. POD: Timothy Baxendine); St Joseph’s 3-0 Matamata Eagles (Eagles’ POD: Jackson Donderwinkel & Haydn Logie). 8th Grade: Gordonton 6-1 Matamata Magpies (Magpies’ scorer: Penny Lang. POD: Eloise Assen).