AFC Fury 6-4 Matamata Swifts

Recap

The Stanley Joinery Matamata Swifts have returned from Te Puna after taking part in a crazy afternoon of football against title favourites, AFC Fury.

The match started promisingly for the Swifts with Bjorn Vossen netting after ten minutes to finally break the team’s goal scoring drought. Shaun Richardson, another Swifts youngster in for his first start of the season, had a great opportunity to double Matamata’s lead but shot straight at Fury’s keeper.

A clearly rattled Fury side eventually hauled themselves back into the match and a quick-fire triple strike in the lead-up to half time seemed to settle the home side’s fraying nerves.

The sides traded goals during the second half but Matamata were never quite close enough to repeat the early pressure on their highly rated opponents. Vossen scored again in the 53rd minute and Scott Parsonage grabbed his first of the season on the hour mark.

Callum Barr, another Swifts youngster who is growing with confidence each week, added his first goal in the black and white, and Matamata’s fourth with five minutes remaining.

This was a credible performance by the Swifts, particularly with three players making their first start of the season. Hopefully the injury toll will ease in coming weeks and allow the coaching staff to field a settled line-up that can start piecing together confident performances that lead to getting some results on the board.