Katikati v Matamata Swifts

Recap

Young Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts striker, Joe Tompsett, had an eventful afternoon as his team battled the conditions, desperate opponents and some interesting decisions to give interim coach, Paul Richardson his second win on the trot.

Tompsett scored the only goal of the game 26 seconds in, then found himself very harshly sent off with more than half an hour to go. The goal, Tompsett’s first for the Swifts, was excellent reward for his work rate, while everyone at the ground expected the red card to be shown to Katikati’s goalkeeper for his part in the clash between the two.

It wasn’t the only overly physical incident on an afternoon where Katikati, having lost eight games in a row, despairingly attempted to bully the young Swifts side out of the game. That tactic didn’t pay off as Matamata held their composure, with Jackson Allen and Chris Monteith, in his first start for the 1st team, both standing out.

On an afternoon where the senior squad was stretched through injury and unavailability, this was an impressively mature performance from a Swifts team that included ten players aged under 20.

Matamata now has three home games in a row to finish the season and, after gaining confidence from two solid victories, will be looking to finish the season strong.